Shadow of a Chat
by fullmetalfrost
Summary: Everyone knows that Ladybug has thousands of people who look up to her, not just as a role model but as an idol. Chat's happily supported her from the side lines but unknowingly to the beloved second half of Paris's superhero duo, he as his own fans. And one is not keen on sharing his precious kitten. (Changed from a one-shot to a story due to high demand. Warning: Rape/Non-con)
1. Chapter 1

"Ladybug! Ladybug! Can we get a quick interview with you?" A microphone was rudely shoved into Ladybug's face by an overly enthusiastic reporter. Ladybug tried to suppress a groan that rumbled into the back of her throat. She never really liked dealing with the paparazzi; they were always so invasive and honestly a little too peppy and upbeat, even for her. Marinette didn't really know how to deal with the press but she wasn't Marinette right now, she was Ladybug. That meant she had to deal with all the responsibilities of Ladybug, included dealing with the microphone that was currently intruding in her personal bubble.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I don't really have the time rig-" Ladybug was cut off by more microphones being shoved in her face by numerous other reporters. In the corner of her eye she thought she saw a flash of reddish brown hair that could only belong to the famous amateur reporter of the Ladyblog and her best friend, Alya. Leave it to her to be on the scene of the latest akuma attack.

Shoulders slugging, Ladybug accepted her fate. She had about four minutes left before her transformation would fall, really, what's the hurt in a small interview?

"Alright, alright. What would you like to know?" Ladybug conceded. Several voices chimed at the same time, all louder than the next. Ladybug held her hands out to calm the rowdy crowd.

"Please, one at a time." Ladybug instructed. One reporter with short red hair shoved to the front, pushing camera men out of her way.

"Ladybug, what's your insight on the newest akuma attack?" She asked.

"Well Seamstress was pretty tough with the flying needles and such but she's nothing Chat Noir and I couldn't handle." Another microphone was thrust forward.

"Speaking of Chat Noir, what's your relationship with him?"

Ladybug grimaced slightly. How many times is _this_ question going to be asked? She furrowed her eyebrows and sighed.

"I've told the press this many times. Chat and I are just partners, nothing more nothing less. Now can we please move onto another question?"

Ladybug was bombarded with more microphones.

Off to the side, Chat was watching in bemusement at Ladybugs popularity. His Lady deserved all the attention she as getting; she really is miraculous. Although he couldn't help the small sting in his chest at her blunt answer to their relationship; it always hurt a little when she addresses their platonic partnership. Maybe one day she'll see that his love for her is real and genuine, until then he's happy just being by her side.

Caught up in his adoration for Ladybug, Chat wasn't aware of the eyes burning into his back by an unknown figure shadowed in the darkness.

~Line Break~

"Chat! Watch out!" Ladybug screamed over the chorus of chaotic music erupting all around the superhero duo.

Chat's body hit the floor as he rolled out of the way of a swarm of violins violating playing Chopin's Minute Waltz. Only a half a second later and Chat would have been saying goodbye to his head.

"That was a close call, thanks for the assistance, My Lady! Wouldn't want to ruin this handsome cat's face." Chat smirked as he flipped over a piano hurled at him from across the room. His smirk grew as he audibly heard Ladybug's annoyed groan.

"Yeah, wouldn't that just be a tragedy." Ladybug replied sarcastically, her yo-yo reflecting yet another barrage of trumpets shooting music notes.

"Oh you know you would miss me. What would you ever do without my precious puns? You wouldn't be able to go on, My Lady."

"Oh please, I'd be better off if I didn't have to listen to your stupid cat puns every second."

"You know they're _purr_ fectly placed. They're wonder _fur_ l."

Ladybug groaned.

"Yeah well-" Ladybug started but a harp was thrown between the two hero's, interrupting their short back-and-forth.

"STOP IGNORNING ME!" The akuma shrieked. Chat rolled his eyes while Ladybug readied her yo-yo. They both exchanged a small glance before jumping into action.

~Line Break~

"Well Kitty, I'll see you next time." Ladybug took out her yo-yo, ready to swing off into the night when Chat gently grabbed her hand. She turned back and was greeted with anxious green eyes.

"My Lady, wait. I know we've already discussed this a million times but I really wish you would trust me enough to tell me your identity. I promise I won't tell anyone," Chat placed one hand to his heart and raised the other, "Cat's honour."

Ladybug shook her head and slipped her hand out of his grasp. "I'm sorry Chat, but you know we can't do that. I trust you, you know that, but we have to keep out identities a secret; even from ourselves."

Chat looked down sadly, shuffling his feet. "I know, but I mean-I mean- I-I, I l-love you!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hand again. Ladybug looked shocked for a second, reeling back from his touch. Chat gained enough courage to look into Ladybug's eyes. The blue in them was mixed with surprise and another emotion he wasn't quite sure how to decipher. There was a storm swirling in her irises and he was sure he was getting pulled in but he didn't care; he needed her to know what she meant to him.

"Chat I-I," Ladybug was stuttering; she never stuttered. He did this; he ruined all chances he had with her. Stupid, stupid Chat!

"Listen Ladybug-" She whipped out her yo-yo faster than he could comprehend.

"Chat, I have to go." And with that she swung away, becoming a small red dot in the inky black of the Parisian night. Chat sank to the ground, head in his hands. This was his fault. Now he was never going to be able to face Ladybug again.

His ring decided to beep in that exact moment. Chat blankly got up; ready to make his trek home when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned around and was met with a boy, slightly taller than him, maybe by a few inches, looking about the age of 15 or 16. The unknown boy was wearing a dark black sweater that made him blend in with the darkness that surrounded them and blue jeans, ripped and worn. The black of his hair blended with the tan of his skin that reminded Chat of golden sand. Chat leaned his head up and was met with stormy grey eyes that pierced into his very soul. He gulped under the intense gaze of the stranger before remembering he wasn't Adrien right now, he was Chat Noir.

"Oh hello, sorry I didn't see you there, are you I need of assistance, monsieur?" Chat said, giving it his all so not to give away the tremble in his voice.

The boy didn't respond for a few second, locking his intense eyes on Chat's, a hurricane of emotions whirling in his grey irises. He shook his head before smiling softly.

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine; especially now that you're here." There was something in his voice that sounded almost… lascivious.

"Oh well… that's good. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I'll be off then." He turned to walk away but a strong hand gripped his bicep and pulled, flinging him in the chest of the boy. He was surprised for a second, but then his mind caught up with him and he pulled away from the boy, careful not to hurt him with the extra strength of his suit.

"What are you-" Chat exclaimed. The boy put a finger to his lips, effectively quieting him.

"It's alright, Kitten. I don't want to hurt you like that insect did." He spoke softly but Chat could hear the spite in his voice as he spat out the word 'insect'. Chat felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

"She doesn't deserve you. No one does… but me. She's just using you Mon Minou, they all are. All she wants is the fame and glory while you stay in the back and let her soak up the praise that _you_ deserve. How many times have you taken a hit for her? How many times has she put your life in danger so she can save her sorry ass? She'd be better off dead than using you as her personal shield. Oh, Chaton, I could treat you right; I would treat you right. Forget about that stupid bug and look only at me. I love you, Chat, I always have." The boy leaned down towards the Chat, pulling him in tighter to his chest.

Chat was too in shock at the boy's words that he didn't register the lips that were slowly getting closer to his own. Before he could even retaliate with a shove or words of resistance, the mysterious boy's lips had already connected with his. It was a deep and passionate kiss but that's not what Chat was focusing on. Chat could only register the fact that he was being kissed and that it wasn't Ladybug. His mind clicked.

Pushing on the chest in front of him, Chat used his suits strength to get the boys arms off of him. He succeeded and stumbled a few steps back, legs wobbly and heart racing. He let out a breath he was sure he'd been holding since the boy started his confession. Chat's mind was a confused and muddled mess as he took a few more steps back and the boy took a few steps forward.

"Kitten, please. Accept my love and become mine." The boy took more steps forward and Chat took more steps back. Even Chat could tell there was too much lust in the boy's eyes for this to be love. He didn't want Chat as a lover; he wanted him as a possession. Chat would not allow this. He pulled out of his baton and before the boy could even utter a word, he extended it, fleeing from the scene.

The boy was left alone, eyes following the boy in leather until he was too far to see. He clenched his hands into a fist. He denied him. He rejected him. All because… because… because of Ladybug. Pulling out his picture of Chat Noir he took when his little Kitten was looking particularly beautiful, he clasped it with an iron grip.

A dark butterfly flapped its wings, flying into the picture with ease. The boy whipped his head up, a purple butterfly insignia appearing on this face. A man's voice resonated in his head.

 _Stalker, I am Hawkmoth. You've lived you entire life in the shadows, now it's time to use them to your advantage. I give you the power to manipulate the darkness to your will to get the one which you desire. All I ask for in return is that when obtain your precious treasure you assist me in gaining mine by taking Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous. Do we have a deal?_

The picture crumpled more in the boy's tight grip.

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

~Line Break~

Adrien brushed his fingers lightly over his lips while the teacher droned on about quadratic equations. He could still feel the pressure even after a whole night of restless sleep. He was scared. In the moment he wasn't sure how long it would have taken him to react if he hadn't remembered Ladybug. He shuddered at the thought. Nino glanced over at him, a bit of worry in his brown eyes.

"Hey dude, you okay?" Nino asked, lightly touching Adrien's shoulder. Adrien remembered the touch of the boy and flinched violently out of Nino's contact like he'd been burned by fire. His books clattered to the ground in a loud crash, gaining the attention of the entire room.

"Adrien, do you need to go to the principal's office or are you just here to disrupt my class?" the math teacher scolded. Adrien gulped and turned his head downcast, crouching to pick up his fallen books.

"No, I just got scared for a second, saw a shadow, you know. Please continue on with the lesson, I won't interrupt further." he picked up the last of his books and sat back down. Nino looked at his best friend, worried. There was a tap on his shoulder as he turned to see Alya leaning over the table.

"What's up with Adrien?" she whispered. Marinette looked just as worried as Nino as she glanced at Adrien. Nino shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea. I just touched him a little and he freaked." Nino said low enough so only Marinette and Alya could hear him but not Adrien himself. Marinette and Alya didn't look convinced. Marinette opened her mouth to speak when a loud crash resonated through the building.

"AKUMA!" someone screamed. Marinette was up in an instant.

"Teacher! I have to go to the bathroom! Excuse me!"

~Line Break~

Ladybug bounded off to the source of the crash, jumping from roof to roof. The sound of screaming and explosions erupted from a nearby rooftop and she leaped towards it with a giant burst of energy. Her feet landed on a dusty old warehouse as she glanced around searching for the akuma victim. She wasn't aware of the sound of footsteps, muffled by pure darkness until a foot connected with her back and she tumbled to the floor. A rumbling laughter escaped the perpetrators throat as his foot kneaded into her back painfully. Just then another pair of feet landed on the rooftop and bounded towards where Ladybug was being subdued. With a grunt, Chat pushed the akuma off of Ladybug.

"Don't touch her!" Chat growled. The akuma slowly raised himself off the ground and turned towards the recovering Ladybug and the sneering Chat Noir. Chat visibly shrank as he caught a glimpse of the akuma's face. Ladybug eyed him, concerned at the sudden change in character. Chat has never once been intimidated by an akuma, what's so different about this one?

"Oh don't worry," he drawled, "I wasn't thinking about touching that filthy bug. I would rather you instead, Kitten." He walked towards the superhero duo slowly but methodically. Ladybug drew her yo-yo, getting into her fighting stance expecting Chat to do the same but when she glanced over to her partner he was standing straight and rigid.

"Chat…?" It was only half a second but the distraction was enough for the akuma to swing his arm viciously, causing a heavy shadow to wrap around Ladybug and pin her to a thick metal pole protruding from the roofs ground. She struggled but her arms were pinned down by the shadow; the sound of her yo-yo clattering to the floor and out of her reach echoed around them. She was trapped.

The akuma laughed crudely at her distress.

"Let's see you get out of that little insect. Now where were we, Kitty?" The akuma stalked forward to Chat, still standing straight with shock. Ladybug's struggles increased.

"Chat, pay attention!" Ladybug shouted. Her voice snapped Chat out of his reverie. He readied his baton in a fighting stance, though it was really only for appearance, he wasn't sure how able he was going to be in this fight.

"You- you're the guy- the guy from last night, aren't you?" Chat stammered. The akuma advanced towards until he was face to face with Chat, looking down at him with a smirk.

"That's sweet, Chaton, you do remember me. I never did give you my name did I? Well the names Stalker now. Do you perhaps also remember what I told you last night, hmm kitty?"

The words echoed in his head. _Accept my love and become mine._

A sickening sense of dread crept up Chat's spine. He backed up, trying to put some distance between Stalker and him but every time he took one step back, Stalker took three steps forward. There was nowhere to go, he was trapped.

Ladybug didn't know what was going on. Chat wasn't acting himself and that disturbed her. Where were all the puns? Where were the jokes? Just who exactly was this akuma? She watched in horror as Stalker backed Chat up into a wall, his baton uselessly resting in his slack palm. Stalker slapped it out of his hands before smacking both of his on either side of Chat's head. Ladybug's eye's widened when he inched closer to Chat, unaware of how he was going to hurt her partner.

"Chat, please! Move! He's going to hurt you!" Ladybug screamed, her vocal chords straining with each word. What the hell was Stalker planning to do to Chat?

Ladybug got her answer when Stalkers lips came crashing down on her partners with bruising force. Ladybug could have sworn she hears a whimper escape Chat's throat only to be smothered by the lips of his molester. There was an agonizing moment of silence, completely still with the exception of Chat's grunts and litany of 'no's' before Ladybug's struggle increased tenfold. She pushed and pulled, grasping at thin air as her feet kicked out, desperately trying to break free of her dark confines. Nothing seemed to work. Animalistic growls ripped from her throat as Stalker deepened the kiss. She watched in anguish as Chat feebly kicked his legs out, feet skidding against the gravelly tarmac of the roof. His hands frantically pushed against Stalker's chest in an attempt to shove off his overwhelming weight.

Stalker bit Chat's lip, attempting to pry his mouth open but Chat pressed his lips into a tight line, denying him access.

"Oh sweet Chaton, I wouldn't do that if I were you. We wouldn't want me getting rough with you, now would we?" his voice slithered down Chat's spine and reverberated through his mind.

"Please sto-" Chat started, but the second he opened his mouth, Stalker took advantage of the situation and delved deeper into the boy's throat with his tongue. Chat choked back a gasp as his mouth was invaded with the wet appendage. Stalker's tongue circled around, tasting everything Chat had to offer. Every so often he broke apart for a breath of air, leaving Chat gasping and panting.

Ladybug could hardly watch. Every whimper, every whine, every gasp, was agony to hear. To mere sound of Chat's cries were enough to send her over the edge. He blood burned with fury as she was forced to watch Stalker degrade her partner.

And then her heart stopped as Stalker's hand reached up to finger Chat's golden bell. The one that connected to his suit…The one that was a zipper…Ladybug almost vomited there.

"STOP! PLEASE! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TOUCH HIM WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS!" Ladybug screamed, thrashing hard enough to shake the pole she was stuck to. Stalker's laugh set her blood on fire.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it, bug?" the hand grasped the bell tightly and tugged, slight and gentle. Ladybug's glare could burn through metal.

"I swear on my life, if you even think about pulling that bell even a millimeter lower you will regret ever being born. I will rip you apart limb by limb until you are nothing but a disgusting torso, you hear me. Now let go of Chat." Ladybug growled low and threatening, gritting her teeth.

"Well little Lady," Stalker purred, "I'll take that bet."

The bell was viciously ripped down Chat's chest, chimes clinked wildly. Chat's suit was torn down all the way to his navel, splayed at the edges. In only a matter of seconds, hands roamed down his chest and sides, touching, feeling, groping any skin they could reach. Chat's cries of resistance increased as he vainly tried to shift away from the disgusting hands. His struggles were silenced with a swift punch to his stomach, knocking the breath out of him and sending him gasping.

"Oh no, Kitten, look what you made we do. I thought we agreed to no resistance. I guess I'm going to have to teach my little Kitty a lesson, don't I?" Stalker caressed Chat's sides, fingers glancing over his ribs and circling the skin, resulting in a shiver from Chat.

"Please…I don't want this. Stop… No…Ah!" Stalkers hands made their way to Chat's nipples, rubbing them between his fingers and squeezing harshly. Chat arched his back painfully, crying out.

"No Mon Minou, this is your punishment. Bad kittens need to be punished." He twisted Chat's right nub harshly before bringing his mouth closer and enclosing it around it. A high pitched keen erupted from Chat's throat which he stifled with his hands.

"Let you voice out. I'm sure our audience would love to hear every whimper and whine you have to offer, my love." Stalker eyes slid over to where Ladybug was still uselessly struggling. His malicious gaze met one livid glare.

"Don't look at me like that, bug. You threw him away, I'm just picking up the pieces," his gaze slid lustfully over Chat's panting pink body as he licked his lips lasciviously, "and boy is he delicious." Her eyes widened. A dark chuckle escaped his throat.

"Don't think I didn't see what happened between you two. You hurt my darling Kitten with your cruel words and then threw him to the curb like some mangy alley cat. I was there to comfort him, where were you? If you look at this from a certain perspective," his voice lowered, "This is all your fault."

"How dare you…" Ladybug's voice was nothing more than a whisper, "how dare you blame me for this! Get the hell off him! Or else-"

"Or else you'll what! You are in no position to be threatening me, insect. I'll show you just how little power you have." Ladybug paled at the words. He wouldn't…

"I know what you're thinking and believe me," he grinned, "there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop me." And with that Stalker tore off Chat's suit with alarming strength, ripping it to shreds until only bits and pieces remained, a tattered reflection of the outfit it once was. With no hesitation, Stalker unbuckled his pants and extracted his penis. He lined it up with Chat's twitching entrance. Chat's struggles became frantic.

"Oh God…no! Anything but that! Please! Stop! Ah! Cataclysm!" Chat screamed, bringing his hand to the sky but before he could go through with the destructive attack, Stalker grabbed his wrist and smashed his hand against an old rusty water heater. In an instant the metal disintegrated, leaving only a heap of metal scrap in its wake. The beeping of Chat's ring echoed.

"What a naughty kitty. I was thinking of making this good for you but now…" he leaned in closer to Chat's ear, "I will take what's mine." Chat's scream as Stalker ripped into him was engraved into Ladybug's mind as the single most agonizing sound of her entire life. Her vision blurred as salty tears invaded her eyes, increasing in size at every whimper and cry that escaped Chat's mouth. He was in so much pain and she was forced to watch as Stalker raped her partner viciously and without remorse. Her vision went red and her pupil shrank to the size of pinpricks when she caught sight of the tears cascading down Chat's cheeks. His voice sounded raw and ripped with each thrust sending him into convulsions.

She couldn't take this anymore; she had to do something. Looking down, Ladybug saw her yo-yo lying uselessly on the floor. If she could just grab it then she'd be able to use it to knock Stalker off Chat and give enough distraction for him to lose focus and drop the shadow's trapping her. Her arm stretched painfully in an attempt to grasp the yo-yo but it was too far away. Wiggling her foot, she flexed it, nudging the yo-yo a little closer. The tip of her foot caught enough leverage on the top of the yo-yo to swing it back and into her reach. Using the top of her foot she tucked it under and flipped it up to her open hand and without a moment's hesitation, whipped it forward.

Stalker thrust into Chat with reckless abandon, the slickness of his muscles clenching around him sending into shockwaves of pleasure. This was everything he wanted and more. When he felt the foreshadowing of his release creeping up on him he lurched forward, ready to spill his seed into Chat and truly claim him as his when something hard and circular hit him roughly on the head, sending him sprawling onto his side. He rubbed his throbbing head and gazed up to search for the perpetrator of his attack. There standing before him was Ladybug, gripping her yo-yo with bruising force, teeth gritted, and a look of pure hatred shining in her normally cool blue eyes. Now those blue bell eyes were clouded by a storm raging inside as she whipped her yo-yo furiously at his face. Stalker recoiled, clutching the side of his cheek protectively. She raised her hand to strike again and he backed up, crawling on all fours to get away from the raging superhero. His back met a cold wall and he watched in growing horror as light footsteps came closer and closer to his prone position. A low growl sounded from Ladybug's throat,

"The akumatised item. _Now."_ The picture was frantically handed over. He didn't miss Ladybug's grimace as she recognized the photo of her partner. She ripped it into pieces, each rip more aggressive and violent than the next. The butterfly flew out of it and she purified it. There was no, 'time to de-evilize's' no 'bye bye petit papillion's", just silence…

There was no Lucky Charm to throw up into the air so Ladybug threw her yo-yo up with a mumbled 'Miraculous Ladybug', fixing all the damage Stalker caused in his rampage.

As Stalker detransformed into a normal civilian, the glare he was given by Ladybug was enough to cripple. The grip on her yo-yo tightened.

"Go. Get out of here before I do something I regret," her fist gripped his shirt roughly, "and if I ever see you again, I will personally make sure that you'll be counting shadows. Get out of my sight." Ladybug snarled. He was up in an instant and out of sight in two.

Ladybug sighed, grip loosening a little on her yo-yo. Her breath hitched as she turned on her heel at the sound of more beeping noises. Feet pounding against gravel, she ran towards Chat, falling on her knees and cradling his head in her arms.

"Chat! Chat! Oh god! Please tell me you're okay!" Ladybug shouted. Her hands were touching everywhere, making sure that Chat was indeed still here, still with her.

"I'm so sorry, Chat! This is all my fault! Please talk to me! Please…" Ladybug sobbed. Chat remained unresponsive in her arms, eyes blank and unfocused. His gaze was on her but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking past her, glazed and unseeing. Ladybug gripped his hair and brought his head to her chest, rocking his body as sobbed retched from her throat.

She wasn't fast enough. She wasn't strong enough. She wasn't good enough.

And now Chat was paying the price.

"Please…please…Chaton… I can't do this without you…say something…anything…" more sobs echoed, "tell me your stupid cat puns, flirt with me, I'll even let you kiss me if that's what it takes…just please… please…be okay." Ladybug buried her head in Chat's fluffy blonde hair, pleading for a response from her beloved partner. He remained as still and limp as a doll.

The beeping of Chat's ring rang louder and louder until a bright green light flashed. Ladybug's breath hitched. Chat wasn't transformed now; he was in his civilian identity. Did she dare…? Ladybug hesitantly lifted her head away from Chat's, her eyes squeezed tight. She brought a hand to her chest to slow her breathing until she was ready. With one clench of a hand she opened her eyes.

And her world came crashing down.

"A-Adrien?" His gorgeous emerald green eyes were clouded over, dulled into a submissive olive green and drool dripped from the side of his mouth, making trails down his throat. Tears stained his red rimmed eyes, shadowed over by blonde hair. Luckily, as the transformation dropped so did his tattered outfit, being replaced with his normal attire of a black shirt with a white dress shirts and blue jeans. Jeans that were slowly being stained a deep red. Ladybug lurched to the side and threw up the contents of her stomach.

This was too much. If Ladybug thought she was mentally unstable after witnessing Chat's raping, she was on the verge of a mental breakdown discovering Chat was Adrien. A heart wrenching scream ripped from Ladybug's mouth and into the Parisian air, dying down only after she had exhausted her lungs. The burning in her throat increased as sobs racked her body. She clutched her shoulders, shaking, tears plopping one after another onto the roof ground. There was nothing else she could do. She barely noticed a small black figure fly out of Chat-Adrien's- ring and nuzzle deep into his blonde hair.

"Adrien!" She screamed over and over again. A litany she repeated, cradling his body to her own. The beeps of her own miraculous sounded and her transformation fell. Marinette was left rocking back and forth, pleading with Adrien to say something, anything.

"Marinette, please." A small high-pitched voice said. Marinette ignored it.

"Kid, wake up. Come on, you owe me some camembert cheese….remember…please….wake up." A lower and more prominent voice said. Marinette ignored it.

"Adrien…" Marinette sobbed, tears rolling down her face. A hand lightly caressed her cheek, wiping away the tracks of salty water. Marinette's head shot up and met with glossy green eyes.

"M-Marinette- My Lady- p-please don't cry." Adrien rasped out, smiling faint and pained. Marinette choked out a gasp.

"Adrien! Adrien!" Marinette could only call out his name, hugging him tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry… I-I… you must think me disgusting." Adrien voice cracked. Marinette only hugged him tighter.

"NO! Adrien, I could never. I wasn't strong enough! This happened because of me!" Marinette cried.

"No, My Lady! None of this was you're doing! Please don't blame yourself. I-I just want to go home. Please Marinette; I don't want to be here anymore." His eyes went downcast, clouded over in horrific reflection of what just happened to him.

Marinette sniffled and rubbed her eyes. She glanced over at Tikki, who was also in tears and reached into her purse pocket, taking out a cookie. Tikki ate it as fast as she could and Marinette transformed back into Ladybug. She gently slid her arms under Adrien's torso. He winced at the touch and Marinette's heart clenched.

"You're coming to my house and we're getting you cleaned up. You have no say in this. I will not take you back to an empty home." She said, thankful she could say the sentence without her voice cracking or breaking into sobs. She vaulted off the roof, holding Adrien protectively against her body. She heard his small and quiet sniffles turn into cries and then turn into heart-wrenching sobs. The shaking boy clutched her body tighter, fingers digging into her suit.

"T-thank you… Thank you, Marinette." He whispered, the wind making his voice almost silent.

Marinette's teeth clenched as her heart constricted.

I'm sorry, Adrien…

I'm sorry…


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette remembers first meeting Adrien.

In the beginning she wasn't too fond of him, her mind creating a pretentious boy image that was closely related to that of another snobby rich kid in her class. Her suspicions were confirmed when she walking into class early morning with her new best friend Alya, only to see this "Adriekins" Chloe speaks of putting gum on her seat. Needless to say, he didn't make a very good first impression.

After the hecticness of obtaining the Ladybug Miraculous and the whole Stoneheart incident, her impression of the so-called model did not change on bit. That was until she realized she forgot her umbrella one rainy day. She had berated herself for being so thoughtless and resigned to a walk in the rain.

But then he showed up.

She had tried to ignore him, but his voice rang out among the thousands of raindrops pelting the cement ground. He had explained and she had listened. In retrospect, it's possible that moment under the thundering rain might have been something sort of like fate. Marinette never thought she would ever come to like Adrien- the golden boy model. But when he gave her that sad smile and offered her his umbrella, she could have sworn she heard her heart skip a beat.

It was then that Marinette realized that she was irreversibly in love with Adrien Agreste, the boy who stole her heart with a smile and laugh.

Which brings her to this moment now. As she swings across Paris in red and black spotted spandex, holding tightly onto the love of her life and stifling back hot tears that threaten to roll down her cheeks with every glance down at the boy who looks paler than he's ever been and frailer than he ever should be.

Buildings blur together as she whips her arm furiously to get to her house. She just needs to get Adrien somewhere warm- somewhere safe. Every jostle elicits a whimper from the boy and it takes all of her willpower not to whimper with him. This was not the Chat Noir that fought countless battles with her and come out triumphant with a pun on the tip of his tongue. This was not the Adrien who smiled and joked with his best friend, never so much as throwing a dirty glance in anyone's direction, not even the ones who've scorned him. This was not her Kitty, and that scared her.

She landed with a thud at the front door of her parents bakery, hesitating just a moment to make sure Adrien was alright.

Marinette's breath caught when she saw closed eyes but looking closer, Adrien was breathing, albeit ragged, with sweat beading down his forehead. Sighing from relief she rang for her parents. In a matter of seconds they were at the door, pleasant smiles turning to shocked frowns as their eyes caught the hurt boy in Marinette's hold.

"Oh no…what happened, Ladybug?" Sabine said, voice wavering as she reached for the boy tentatively, motherly instincts kicking in. Her fingers were mere inches away before Ladybug jerked her arms, flinching as she came closer to the golden haired boy. Sabine pulled back her hand, resting it at her side. Ladybug looked apologetic for a second before straightening her face, biting her lip slightly.

"He was hurt. Badly. I'm going to need to leave him in your care. I'm incredibly sorry but I've only got a minute left before I detransform and I needed someone to take him in. I know your daughter so you guys were my best bet. Please. Please… take care of him." Ladybug couldn't help the strain in her voice. She tried to stay as professional as possible but the cracks were showing. She needed to detransform. Fast.

Sabine and Tom took Adrien out of her grasp. She tugged him a little, unconsciously trying to keep in close and away from harm but she came here for a reason and she needed to give him over if she wanted to help him. Relinquishing her hold on Adrien she gave one last forlorning look before zipping away.

And back onto the roof of the bakery.

She detransformed in a blink of an eye and before Tikki could so much utter a word, she wretched open her balconies trap door and rushed downstairs. Tikki was a blur of red behind her as she came to a skidding halt behind her parents, calming herself.

Ladybug may know of Adrien's injuries, but Marinette doesn't. She had to play the part.

"Maman? Papa? What's wrong? I heard someone was at the door." Marinette said, clenching her teeth in an effort to make her voice steady. Her parents turned around with Adrien in their grip and Marinette couldn't help the swell of anxiety that welled up in her chest. No matter how many times she sees him, it never hurts any less.

"Marinette, honey… you're friend… he's badly hurt. Ladybug just dropped by and handed him to us. Unfortunately she didn't tell us of the extent of his injuries before she had to leave. We'll have to take him to the hospital."

Marinette bit her lip hard, enough to draw tiny droplets of crimson blood. How could she be so stupid? Adrien was…raped- she still cringes every time she thinks about it- and the first thing she thinks to do is go to her parents' house? The obvious answer is the hospital and yet she was dumb enough to bring him home, without proper tools to look after him. She balled her fists together, creating crescent moons in her palm as her parents gathered together the necessary tools to get Adrien to the nearest hospital as safely as possible. Marinette could only stand in a daze as the world rushed around her. Sounds started to blur together and her vision darkened at the edges. If her ears didn't feel like they were muffled by rushing water she could have sworn she heard heavy breathing nearby but all she could feel was the tightness in her chest, threating to consume her.

It was only a matter of seconds before the world came crashing down, or more precisely she did. The last thing she heard was the worried shouts of her parents before they too, faded into nothing.

It was 3:05 p.m. exactly when Marinette lost consciousness.

~Line Break~

Marinette woke up in a bed she was not familiar with. It was far too white and there was a severe shortage of plush pillows. The walls of the room were the same shade of blindingly white and it took her a moment to adjust to the retina burning colour. Marinette looked around the room in confusion before realization slowly dawned on her in the sinking feeling of her stomach.

Adrien… how could she forget? Ripping off the bed sheets, Marinette darted for the door. Her hand was mere inches away from the handle when the door opened by itself. A man dressed in white, holding a plain wooden clipboard stared at her in shock before slowly walking into the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I'm glad to see you're up and energetic but I'm going to have to ask you to sit back down, you're in no condition to be out of bed so soon." The nurse spoke calmly; no irritation or annoyance could be detected in his voice. He was experienced. Marinette calmed her nerves, the aftershock of her sudden adrenaline still pumping in her veins.

"I'm sorry sir, but my friend is here in the hospital and I have to see him, if you'll just let me past…" Marinette weaved to the side, heading for the door but the nurse stopped her. She didn't hold back the glare she sent in his direction.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. Adrien Agreste is currently being cared for and no one is allowed to visit him as of now. Either way you can't see him because you yourself need to lie down; you had a pretty nasty fall."

Marinette's lips curled into a grimace.

"He's had worse. Now let me see him." She growled. Just because Marinette understood the situation doesn't mean she wasn't going to fight it. She wanted to see Adrien. Now.

"I can't do that. Now please, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, sit down. It's for your own good," he gestured to the bed and carefully guided her towards it. Marinette obliged, taking each step like it was her last. When they were almost close enough to sit down, Marinette jammed the heel of her foot into the nurses and whipped around him, dashing for the door. She heard a low grunt from behind her as she threw open the door and raced down the halls of the hospital. Her head whipped around at every ivory number, frantically searching for the one that held Adrien. Behind her she could hear the shouts of hospital personnel but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she needed to do was find Adrien, after that… well, she'd figure it out then. Shoes squeaked against glossy ground as Marinette twisted around the corner. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was the Adrien was here somewhere and she'll be damned if she didn't find him.

The footsteps were getting louder.

Marinette's pace picked up. Her legs pumped but they seemed to be lagging a little more than usual. A pounding in her head began as Marinette's vision once again started to darken.

No! She needed to find Adrien!

Breathing became a task as sweat beaded down her forehead. Her movements slowed and the footsteps seemed too close. The world became faded as she crumpled to the ground, various hands catching her.

"N-no. A-Adrien…" Marinette drawled, eyelids becoming too heavy to keep up. Faces swam around her as the world spun.

It was 4:17 p.m. exactly when Marinette lost consciousness for the second time.


	3. Chapter 3

It was blindingly white again.

All Marinette could see was uniform white and it was beginning to give her a major headache. Or was that the tight bandaging around her head? Honestly, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. Lifting her head groggily, Marinette glanced cautiously around, inspecting the new yet familiar room. After her frantic escape, the hospital personnel must have placed her somewhere different, not that that was really going to help.

The tightness around her wrists was new, though. Looking down, sure enough there were bindings tied to the best post, loose enough to be confortable but just tight enough to cut off any chance of escape. Glad to know she was trusted. Testing the restraints, Marinette pulled harshly, rubbing her skin a slightly raw red. She twisted and curled her hands in an attempt to squeeze out a wrist but whoever was in charge of buying the cuffs in this hospital might want to ask for a raise because Marinette wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Sighing through her noise heavily, Marinette slumped into her bed.

Then immediately shot back up as quickly as a bullet. She looked around frantically, swinging her head back and forth; twisting her body as far as it would go with the restrictions of her restraints.

Tikki! How could she forget about Tikki?

"Tikki! Tikki! Are you here? Please, Tikki! Answer me!" Marinette strained her voice into a whisper scream, hoping her Kwami of luck would answer but hopefully not the hospital workers. Her prayers were answered when a tiny red blur shot out from under the bed and right into her face.

"Marinette! I'm so glad you're awake! I was getting so worried! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do those restraints hurt?" Tikki hovered in front of Marinette's face talking a mile a minute. Marinette allowed herself a little chuckle at her Kwami's worried antics.

"I'm fine, Tikki. My head hurts a little but other than that I'm okay. Where have you been this whole time? No one saw you, right?" Marinette kept her voice as low as possible, just barely above a whisper. Tikki shook her head, looking back up at Marinette.

"No, after you fainted, I hid in your jacket, once we got to the hospital and they started getting a little too hands on for me to maintain my cover I moved from your jacket to under the bed when they weren't looking. They didn't see me Marinette, your secret is safe."

Marinette let out a long sigh of relief. That was one less thing to worry about.

Worry about… Adrien was still somewhere in the hospital… Marinette still needed to find him.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pang in her head. Marinette gripped her hair tightly, squinting her eyes in pain. It was only for a second, but something echoed in her head; Marinette wasn't sure what exactly, though. The pain faded and all she was left with was a dull ache. Rubbing her head, Marinette gazed down at the worried eyes of Tikki.

"I'm alright, Tikki, it's probably from the two falls I had earlier, its nothing to worry about. Do you think you can get these restraints off? I need to find Adrien." Marinette shook her cuffs slightly and the sound of hard plastic against metal rang out in the silence. Tikki's eyes drifted from the cuffs back up to Marinette's pleading expression.

"I'm not sure about that Marinette, if I let you out then the doctors and nurses might find you and restrain you again, this time even worse. I think it's best if you just wait until you're feeling better and given permission to visit Adrien." Tikki reasoned, hoping Marinette would be persuaded by logic.

"Tikki, who knows how long that will take. I need to see if Adrien is okay now. Please Tikki, he needs me," there was a pain in Marinette's voice, a pain that Tikki knew well. She wasn't sure how good of an idea this was, but Marinette needed this, she could make an exception.

Quick as lightning, Tikki flew into the cuffs and unlocked them from the inside, falling around Marinette's hands in a heap. Rubbing her slightly raw wrists, Marinette swung her legs off the bed, careful of creaking noises and headed for the door, ripping off her bandages in one swift movement. Tikki followed after her, flying towards her jacket and nestling deep in the crook. Marinette gave her a slight glance before easing open the door and slipping through.

The problem was finding Adrien's room without getting caught. Normally that would be tricky, but when you have an age old being of luck cuddled in your shirt, there's more than one way to get around a crowded area unseen. Carefully, Marinette maneuvered around the door and looked cautiously to the left and right of the hallway. It was thankfully empty, but she couldn't know for how long.

She needed to find a place to transform fast.

The rattle of wheels and wood clanking against each other resounded through the empty hall and Marinette panicked for a second. She relaxed shortly after when a janitor turned the corner and walked into a supply closet to the right of the hall, going in for a second and coming out shortly after. He turned the corner and Marinette was left alone once again.

Perfect.

Marinette sidled over to closet and slid inside the door, mindful of how much noise she was making. Inside the closet there were an assortment of brooms, mops, and cleaning supplies. From the window, loud clapping thunder rang out; the bright luminescence of lighting encasing the small janitors closet in a flash of white.

Marinette did not flinch.

There was a small window just big enough for Marinette to squeeze through at the far end of the closet, trapped behind dusty boxes and old discarded cleaning tools. Jerking her shirt aside, Marinette didn't even wait for Tikki to fly out before she turned her head upward and said the magic words.

"Tikki, transform me!" Power engulfed her as she transformed from Marinette to Ladybug in an instant. There was no time for poses, she was on a mission. Roughly pushing aside the boxes and tools, Marinette jumped out the window, immediately throwing her yoyo onto the adjacent building and grappled onto the roof. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Ladybug's yoyo zipped back into her hand. It was immediately switched into telescope mode and Ladybug used it to look into the hospital rooms.

Heavy rain was plastering her hair against her face and falling into her eyes. Ladybug roughly swiped at the droplets of water obstructing her vision. She paid no mind the wetness seeping into her suit and the cold numbness of her face. The grip on her yoyo was bone breaking as she prayed for Adrien's blinds to be open. She _needed_ to see he was okay. She needed…she needed…please…she needed Adrien.

Her head throbbed.

Ladybug scanned the area, each mop of blonde hair making her jump, before she examines closer and slumps back down. It was agonizing; she was so close and yet so far away. What if Adrien was in pain? What if he was not being properly taken cared for? What if the doctors found his Kwami? The questions were bombarding her; the anxiety of not knowing making her breath quicken with each incorrect patient. There was no way she could know what was happening to Adrien and it was making her freak out. Her head pounded, but she ignored the throb. If she didn't find Adrien now, it was just going to get worse.

Finally, her yoyo landed on another blonde patient. They were looking through the window, gazing blankly to the building that Ladybug was currently stationed at. It was him. No question about it. She could never forget those blazing emerald eyes.

But they weren't as bright as she remembered

They were much duller, placid and empty; almost like the life had been sucked out of them, leaving only a shadow of the beautiful colour they used to be. The bright eyes that Marinette had fallen in love with on that one rainy day much like this one were no longer there. Gone without a single trace and what remained was a husk of what they once were; the beast after the beauty.

Thunder clapped loudly as Ladybug shut her yoyo closed. She was thoroughly drenched but she didn't care. She had found him. Finally.

It was all a blur to her as she swung towards his room, landing on the window sill and gazing longingly at the boy who stole her heart.

It wasn't meant to be this way. She wasn't supposed to find out. They were to stay partners until Hawkmoth was defeated and then part ways; if there was any chance for an identity reveal, it wasn't supposed to be now. Not this way. But here she was, outside the window of the other half of Paris's superhero duo, looking at the boy behind the black mask; and he was in a hospital.

It didn't feel right.

There was a bitter taste in her mouth that wouldn't go away. It hurt. Oh, it definitely hurt. But she needed to be here for Adrien and she would be of no use if she stayed resentful. She would put away her feelings of anger, malice, and hate for the world if only for a moment. She would lock away the burning revenge for the boy that hurt her partner. She would do it all for him. Only for him.

Ladybug raised her hand and delicately tapped the window. It was quiet and tiny but it was enough to catch Adrien's attention as he turned toward the window and gazed at Ladybug with…with…Marinette wasn't sure exactly what Adrien looked at her with.

He didn't seem to make any sign of movement to the window and Ladybug was beginning to think she would have to break it to get in but Adrien slowly got up. His wince in pain at the small movement made her wince in pain as if they were connected; synchronized by the agony that invades their bodies.

 _His is worse than yours, don't be so selfish._

It wasn't her voice and yet it was.

He opened the window for her, letting her drop in and allowing the rain that she was drenched in to puddle onto the floor. He gazed at her and she gazed back, her heart aching for the blonde boy. His eyes were too empty, even more so up close. They were nothing like they used to be, looking past her shoulder and into somewhere unknown.

"Adrien…" he did not respond, not even a flinch. Ladybug tried again, voice strained and cracking,

"Adrien…please…will you look at me?" Cold. That was what Marinette felt. Cold and numb.

The rain slid off in rivulets.

"Adrien… I…I know you're hurting…and I know that…that… that it's bad…but please…please…look at me…Adrien?" Ladybug reached out, desperately wanting to comfort and touch him but the second her hand brushed his clothed shoulder, he flinched as if he'd been scalded by fire. Ladybug retracted her arm quickly, as if she too had felt the same shock. Adrien curled in onto himself, hugging his hands close to his chest and stared at Ladybug with fear-stricken eyes. Tears were building around his eyes as he looked off into the distance and past Ladybug, reliving a horror that not even Ladybug could imagine.

"N-no…P-please, No! Let me go! I don't want this! G-get away…get away…get…away…please…" Adrien sank to the ground, holding his body protectively as if Ladybug was going to hurt him the way that Stalker had. It stung Ladybug so deep that it sent her reeling to the side; her hands grappling the drapes of the window to keep herself steady.

He didn't think she would…?

"Chaton, please… I'm not going to hurt you. Kitty?" Ladybug tried desperately to get Adrien to calm down, though it was taking all she had not to go into a panic attack herself. She must have said the wrong words because Adrien's breath quickened. It came out short and raspy as he clutched his chest, clawing into the fabric of his hospital gown.

"NO! GET AWAY! STOP, IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" Adrien screamed, completely lost in the horrific memories of his rape. Ladybug was reeling. Her head throbbed and her chest squeezed tightly.

"Adrien…" she strained, reaching her hand forward to do something- anything- to help Adrien but her hand was roughly batted to the side. She watched helplessly as Adrien rocked back and forth, breathing erratically until finally, he fell unconscious, slumping to the ground in a boneless heap. Ladybug could only stand and stare, eyes raw and red as the thunder of rain and footsteps got louder and louder.

Marinette knew that the water dribbling down her face wasn't from the rain.


	4. Chapter 4

Lightning illuminated the sky outside in sporadic flashes of white energy. The thunder and rain had continued to roar and boomed with power and authority, demanding to be heard. The sounds of the three mingled together creating a symphony of sound that reverberated throughout Paris.

Marinette could not appreciate nor acknowledge the rain this time.

The curtains behind her rattled; metal rings clinking against the open window and breaking the silence that had enveloped the room. It was absolutely suffocating.

The rain pounded on outside as Marinette's heart hammered in her chest, her fingers had become numb and cold. She clutched them tightly and if it weren't for the red and black spotted costume she currently dawned, Marinette could have sworn she would have drawn blood.

Her breath came out in short shaky gasps that were getting harder and harder to control with each passing moment. Adrien was still collapsed on the floor, but his breathing was a lot steadier than it was when he was conscious. After his panic attack, Marinette had backed up into the corner ready to have one of her own. Every part of her body shook violently as she tried to catch her breath but each unstable gasp sent her reeling. The room seemed to spin around her in a dizzy and disorienting pace and she felt incredibly lightheaded, barely keeping herself on her feet.

This was all her fault. She had done this. Adrien was in the hospital; he was raped, traumatized, _broken_ because she was too weak to protect him. And how could she if she couldn't even protect herself. She thought back to how easily she was caught and used as bait for Stalker to lay his filthy hands on Chat-Adrien. The amazing Ladybug, hero of Paris- what a load of crap; she was nothing. What kind of superhero was she if she couldn't even save her own partner? If only she was stronger, if only she hadn't been so stupid, if only… Marinette's world was filled with 'if only's'.

She heard some faint shouts coming from outside the room, getting louder and louder as they neared Adrien's room. In the back of her head alarm bells were ringing, screaming for her to get out of the room. Ladybug couldn't be seen in the room of Adrien Agreste; it would raise too many questions. As much as she wanted to stay, she had to leave. Judging by how loud the footsteps before sounded, she had to go now.

Shakily, she grabbed her yoyo and swung it outside the window, grappling onto the adjacent building. She gave one last worried glance at Adrien before swinging out just as the door to his room burst open and medical personnel flooded in. It took all her energy to not look back as she headed back to her room in the hospital. Luckily the closet she transformed in still kept the window open, which she was thankful for as she slipped into the small room and let go of her transformation. Tikki flew out of her earrings and landed in her open palms, exhausted and just as tired as Marinette.

"Marinette, how did it go? Did you find Adrien?" Tikki asked. Marinette looked away from her, eyes downcast. Her tears had yet to dry and had mingled in with rain. Tikki glanced at her face which was pale white and stained with rain. A small whimper escaped Marinette's throat as she brought Tikki close to her chest, silently requesting comfort from her tiny Kwami. Tikki wrapped her small arms around Marinette as best as she could.

"It's going to be alright, Marinette. _He's_ going to be alright," she looked up at Marinette, hope shining in her eyes. Marinette's grip tightened a little more.

"Tikki…I don't know how much more of this I can take. You didn't see him; you don't know just how much it killed me watching him break down. He's traumatized, Tikki, he was screaming and crying and… I just don't know what to do. It's all my fault. I couldn't do anything to help him. I stood and watched him as he had a panic attack and didn't do anything! I froze and-and-and he fainted, Tikki!" Marinette paced back and forth, pulling on her hair until strands came out, falling the ground around her feet. She was on the verge of another panic attack that would leave her crumpled in a corner, rocking back and forth.

"Marinette! Calm down! Freaking out now won't do anything to help Adrien. It's not your fault, if it wasn't for you, Adrien might not have even made it to the hospital. Stalker could have stolen his Miraculous and yours too if you hadn't gotten to your yoyo in time and who knows what he would have done after that. You saved him, Marinette, don't forget that." Tikki reassured. It was not uncommon for a Kwami's chosen to doubt themselves; it's happened to her's and Plagg's many times. But Marinette is courageous and strong, for her to doubt herself; Tikki would not have it.

"I…I guess you're right, Tikki. I just can't help but feel…useless. What can I possibly do to help Adrien when every time I see him I break down?" Marinette's shoulders slumped as she breathed out a small sigh. Her tears had dried up, but her breath would still catch sometimes with small cries.

"Marinette, you need to be strong for him. He's in a very dark place right now and he's going to need all the support he can get. Plagg is probably doing everything he can but you need to help him too, both as Ladybug and Marinette. He needs you more than ever before, you have to be there."

Marinette gripped her shoulders tightly, calming her breath and controlling her cries. Tikki was right; Adrien was having it much worse than her. Someone needs to be strong for him, and if Marinette can't then who will? She took a deep and shaky breath, her hand gripping her shirt for support, "I understand. I'll do it…for Adrien. Thank you, Tikki. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you." Marinette brought Tikki up to her face and nuzzled her, eliciting a small giggle from the red Kwami.

"Oh Marinette, no thanks necessary. Now we need to get back to your room before someone finds out you're gone."

"Right, and I need to find you something to eat. I think I have some cookies in my purse, hopefully it's somewhere in my room" Marinette said as she opened her jacket and Tikki flew into it. She opened the closet door slowly and peaked around the corner. There was no one in sight. Creaking open the door enough for her to slip by, Marinette dashed around the corner and headed towards her room. She grabbed for the door handle but just as she reached for it another hand brushed hers and she pulled back in shock. Raising her head she looked up into the eyes of the male nurse that she had talked to before.

He didn't look very happy to see her. With a small sigh he retracted his hand from the door and looked down at Marinette.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, we meet again," he placed hand on his forehead and rubbed circles into his temples, "outside your room," he punctuated.

"Yeah…about that… I had to go… to the washroom." Marinette looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. It wasn't a good lie, really, but she was thinking on the spot.

"You're not supposed to leave your room without medical personnel accompanying you. You would have been allowed to before but after your…incident… you can't be left to your own devices, now can you?" The nurse reached for the door and opened it, revealing the familiar blindingly white room to Marinette. He motioned for her to go in with a small wave of his arm and Marinette hurried past him. She reached the bed and stopped, turning around to look at the nurse. He was holding the door handle, watching her quietly.

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, "Listen, I'm sorry about before. It's just…" she trailed off. He raised a hand to quiet her before closing the door behind him and walking into the room. Gesturing to the bed, he gave her a small smile,

"It's alright; I've worked here long enough to not be bothered by the small things. For your own sake I also won't inquire to why you were outside your room unsupervised so please sit down, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, you've had quite the day." Marinette obliged and sat down, the springs of the bed popping as it adjusted to her weight. The nurse lowered himself next to her, placing his hands on his lap.

"Um… you can call me Marinette, Ms. Dupain-Cheng seems a little formal for the person who stepped on your foot," Marinette's eyes went downcast as she wrung her hands, "sorry about that too, by the way."

The nurse chuckled and she felt her face flush in embarrassment. He waved his hand dismissively, "Oh no, that's alright. You'd actually be surprised how many times that's happened to me; I've been bitten, scratched, oh and this one time someone grabbed a syringe and stabbed me right in the leg. Looking back now, I'm really glad that was an unused one." Marinette's eyes widened and the nurse chuckled some more at her expense.

"Don't worry about it, Marinette, it's comes in the job description. It's worth it in the end. Seeing people leave here happy and healthy is why I do what I do."

Marinette's gaze lingered down and darkened slightly as she bit her cheek, gnawing at the flesh, "but… what if they don't leave better? What if someone can't recover? Then what?" Marinette's voice strained faintly, becoming more distraught with each word slipping past her lips. The nurse gazed down at her with an unreadable expression, one that told her he's seen things that she couldn't fully comprehend. There was a pain behind those eyes, something screaming of old scars still scabbing and raw.

"Marinette… I'm not going to sugar-coat it; there are times when things get too much for people. Everyone has a breaking point and some reach there's before they can be properly treated. Nurses and doctors- we're not miracle workers, we can't save everyone and we can't trick ourselves into thinking that we can. It kills me every time I have to break the news to a mother that her child didn't make it through surgery or tell a twelve year old girl that she's not going to make it to her thirteenth birthday. But that's the reality of the world, not everything can be perfect and not everybody can get better. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. I became a nurse because I wanted to help people; I wanted to see their smiling faces as they greet their family, happy and healthy. We can't save everyone, Marinette, but that doesn't mean we don't try."

Marinette placed her hand on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture, "I'm sorry," she spoke. The nurse turned towards her with soft eyes, "What could you possibly be sorry for?" Marinette bit her lip slightly and dropped her hand from his shoulder, landing in her lap with a dull thud.

"You've been through so much and felt so much pain… I thought you deserved an apology for all you've suffered, even if it's from the girl who almost broke your foot." Marinette chuckled, giving the nurse a small smile.

The nurse cracked a smile of his own, "Thank you, Marinette, but I don't need an apology, just having you smile for me is enough," glancing down at the watch around his wrist, the nurse lifted himself from the bed, "well I think it's time for me to take my leave, I'll see you soon, Marinette" he walked towards the door and pulled it open but hesitated for a second, turning back to Marinette, "and please, for me, get some sleep, I'll let you know when you can visit Adrien. It won't be too long from now so save your energy, alright?" it was a simple request that Marinette thought she owed him. Nodding her head, the nurse gave her another small smile before shutting off the light and closing the door gently.

Marinette was left alone in the dark room. Looking to the side she noticed her purse, thankfully containing some cookies for Tikki. Opening her jacket she found her sleeping Kwami, nestled deep into a small pocket she made just for her. Chuckling slightly she maneuvered Tikki out of her jacket and into her purse for when wakes up from her sleep. Marinette felt her eyelids begin to droop with weariness as a large yawn escaped her mouth. She was exhausted and spent and honestly, sleeping didn't seem like a bad option right about now. Hitting the feather pillow with a dull thud, Marinette's eyes closed, finally giving into the fatigue of the day. Her lips parted as she breathed out a faint word before falling into a deep dreamless sleep,

"Adrien…"


	5. Chapter 5

Adrien awoke in a cold sweat that left the hairs on the back of his neck damp and sticky with moisture. At first everything was just a blur; hazy objects with even cloudier colour's to match. For a moment everything felt surreal; like he had woken up from a long dream and everything around him felt different. It was disorienting and uncomfortable, not quite sitting right with his sleep and drug muddled mind. Adrien languidly gazed around his room, taking in the cream coloured walls and small tables with little to no reaction- if any at all. He wasn't sure where he was or what he was doing beforehand but he did faintly remember seeing a lot of red before his memories cut off abruptly.

Something happened, right?

Adrien brought up his hands to his head and rubbed his temples, sensing the beginnings of a migraine. Thinking back, he retraced his footsteps, hoping that the thrumming in his head and the dizziness would let him.

He was with Ladybug…that was for sure. There was an…akuma…most likely. What else? What else? Ladybug…something happened to Ladybug…then he went to her rescue…and then…and then…

Something inside of Adrien clicked. It was like someone had flicked a switch inside of him and all the memories that were being suppressed by his drowsiness, the drugs, and probably his own subconscious flowed into him violently, knocking the breath out of him. Adrien was sent reeling with the overwhelming sense of disgust and shame, gripping his mouth tightly with his left hand. Choking sounds filled the quiet room, bouncing off the walls and reverberating back into Adrien's ears to remind him that this was indeed real.

It was disgusting- these memories. Adrien would do anything to not have them. He could still _feel_ the lingering sense of touch; could still _hear_ that atrocious voice calling out to him so sweetly with the pet names he was not allowed to use. It brought vicious shivers down Adrien's spine to remember how Stalker had held him. He was not gentle, he was not kind, he took what he wanted and left Adrien to silently suffer as one of his most private places was used for someone else's pleasure. How long had it been since it happened? One hour? One day? One week? He didn't know. It felt like it happened only a minute ago based on the pain that shot up Adrien's spine every time he shifted even slightly. The stinging pain of his hips and butt were what hurt most of all, though, physically and emotionally.

Adrien's head hung low, his chin just and inch from touching his chest as he carded his fingers through his hair, occasionally gripping too hard and ripping out a few strands of golden blond hair. He had noticed that there was an IV needle poked into the vein in the inner crook of his elbow and connected to that was an IV drip most likely filled with saline to keep him hydrated. On his wrist was a bright green wrist band containing information on his name and age. Something felt off, though; like he was missing something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He hated this…he hated this feeling of helplessness and despair; trying to remember details of things that he should know. It made him feel weak and useless, something fragile to protect. He had been trying his whole life for people to understand that he wasn't a porcelain doll that would crack at the slightest touch. His father wouldn't even let him go to school because he decided that it was too much for poor little Adrien. He wanted to be a normal kid, with a normal life- or at least as normal as you can be when you're a superhero.

Wait…

The bile in the back of Adrien's throat threatened to rise again. He shakily brought his right hand up to his face expecting the gleam of his Miraculous but was greeted with only pale white skin; a little paler than normal. Terror overrode his senses as he was sent into a minor panic attack, clutching his heart with the hand that no longer donned a ring.

"No…Plagg…" Adrien strained, the tightness in his voice mingled with the burning ache of his throat to make a strangled cry that sounded more like a wounded animal than a fourteen year old boy.

Suddenly, faster than he could even comprehend, Adrien's vision was engulfed by a tiny black blob that flew up into his face, smacking it with a light _thwack._

"Adrien! I was so worried, you stupid cat! You didn't wake up and the doctors came in and they did things to you like poking you with sharp stuff and taking off your clothing. I had to hide when they took off your ring but I have it right here," he held up a small silver ring, "so don't worry. But then Ladybug showed up in your room and said some things that triggered something and then you freaked out, and then she freaked out and then… and then…" Plagg was going way too fast for Adrien to comprehend but he didn't really care that much; his sole focus on the small black Kwami that he thought he'd never see again.

Plagg piped up again, this time slower and softer than before, "Adrien…you're crying." Never in his entire time with the Kwami had Adrien ever heard him so…worried. All the Kwami ever did was complain and bug Adrien relentlessly for cheese; this was a side of him he had never known.

He wished he could have seen it on better circumstances.

Adrien tentatively brought his hand up to just under his eyes, his fingers touching small droplets of liquid that streamed down his face like a light rain.

Ah. So he was crying.

A small chuckle escaped Adrien's lips, bubbling up from his sore throat and slipping out his lips before he could even think to stop it. There was nothing in this world that could properly describe how relieved he was to see Plagg, here with him, and not in the clutches of Hawkmoth. Plagg said something, but Adrien hearing was muffled with the overwhelming sense of relief. If there was anything he could be grateful for in this nightmare, it was Plagg. He slowly brought his hands up to cup Plagg's tiny body, abruptly shutting up the small Kwami. Taking a moment to steel himself, Adrien brought Plagg to his chest and hugged him for all he was worth, still mindful not to hurt him with his much bigger body. Plagg was surprised for only a moment before doing his best to hug his kitten back with as much strength as his tiny arms could muster.

"It'll be alright kid. Everything's going to get better. I…" Plagg bit his tongue slightly. He hated making promises he wasn't sure he could keep. He lost too many kittens and had too many regrets to make promises that would only hurt them in the end. But Adrien needed this. He needed him right now.

Some rules were meant to be broken.

"…I promise, kid." And Adrien hugged him tighter, like Plagg was his last life line and he was a drowning man. So tight that the Kwami wondered what would have happened if he hadn't revealed himself during Adrien's panic attack; what Adrien would have done.

Plagg may not be human but he has been around a long time and witnessed a lot of things. He's seen what happens when people get desperate; a few of his kittens had spiraled down paths that no one could recover from. He didn't want to see Adrien do the same.

After what felt like forever, Adrien had finally relinquished his grasp on Plagg and allowed him to float back and away from Adrien ever so slightly. He offered Adrien his Miraculous and Adrien hesitantly took it, slipping it on his right hand and sighing. During those few precious moments, Plagg got a good look at Adrien and stifled a wince. He was much paler than he's ever been; and much _much_ thinner. If he'd eaten at all in this place, Plagg wasn't sure. His cheeks seemed hollowed and if the bags under his eyes were anything to go by, he hadn't had a good night's sleep. But the worst part was his eyes; they seemed haunted, weighed down by the horrors he's suffered through. Plagg didn't even think Adrien would be able to recognize himself in a mirror if he tried.

"Adrien…you're not looking too great. Do you need anything?" Plagg asked softly.

"No Plagg, I don't need anything," Adrien chuckled, his eyes lighting up slightly but dimming back down as the grin slipped from his face and his gaze went downcast, "I don't _feel_ too great either."

There was something in Adrien's tone that didn't sit well with Plagg, leaving an uncomfortable weight in his stomach. Plagg didn't think he was just talking about his physical state. He stored his worries in the back of his mind for later when Adrien gets better, but for now he needs to keep an eye on him.

There's no telling what he could do.

"Adrien, it might be best if you sleep, your complexion is paler than normal and it's worrying me."

"But Plagg, what happened? After… the incident…" Adrien bit his lip hard, turning the pink pigment white, "I kind of blanked out. I don't remember much of anything, it's all just one huge blur. Please, you've got to tell me." Adrien sounded desperate but Plagg was adamant.

"No, your health now, explanations later. When you're feeling better, I'll fill you in on all the details. For now you have to go and get some sleep, you've been through enough."

Adrien huffed, crossing his arms in an almost childlike gesture that Plagg was more than happy to see. Adrien was getting better already but he still couldn't get rid of that uncomfortable feeling deep in his stomach. And that look in Adrien's eyes still hadn't left.

"Sorry, kiddo, those are the rules. Now go to bed."

Adrien slinked back under his covers, mumbling small complaints under his breath, before his eyes drooped closed.

Plagg sighed heavily and drifted back to his hiding spot under the bed. It was no less than a minute when he heard the springs of the bed violently squeak and he flew out from under the bed to make sure Adrien was alright.

He was, in a sense. Adrien was completely rigid, sitting straight as an arrow and his eyes were the widest that Plagg had ever seen them. Slowly, he shifted them towards Plagg as his mouth gaped open.

"Wait a minute! Ladybug was in my room!?"

Plagg sighed and shook his head.

Oh boy.

Author's Note: Dont'cha just love parallels


	6. Chapter 6

Plagg sighed for what felt like the millionth time today. Honestly, humans could be so dramatic at times; Plagg would never be able to understand the workings of a hormonal teenager's mind, especially if the mind in question belonged to one Adrien Agreste.

It had been simple enough, really. He just wanted Adrien to go to bed and get some much needed sleep; the boy had been through enough as is. He _had_ to just open his big mouth and now the last thing on Adrien's mind was sleep. He rolled his eyes as Adrien bounced in his bed, hands wringing like he was trying to rub at some invisible dirt. Even from his spot on Adrien's bedside he could hear the boy's loud and rapid heartbeat.

"Plagg, you're not kidding with me right now, right? Ladybug was here? In _my_ room? Do you know what this means? Plagg, she knows! There's no way she wouldn't and that means… that means…" Adrien trailed off, looking between Plagg, the windows, his sheets, and back to Plagg again. The wringing became more fervent, violent almost, as Adrien's breathing increased in pace. Plagg was sensing another panic attack coming; Adrien eyes were beginning to glaze over again and he was gripping his heart with a clawed hand, digging into the blue fabric of his hospital gown.

Plagg flew up to Adrien's face and using his tiny arms, lightly focused his attention on him,

"Adrien, you need to calm down. Breathe in and out slowly with me, okay?" Plagg took a huge breath and Adrien shakily mirrored the action, hand loosening ever so slightly. The hospital gown he dawned visibly wrinkled as his grip fluctuated between clawing and patting the place where his heart was. Each inhale was met with the tight grip and each exhale with the pat, creating a rhythm to Adrien's breathing that seemed to calm the boy, much to Plagg's gladness.

"That's good, Adrien. You're doing so well, very well. Now breathe out and in again, steady breaths." Adrien listened, calming his breaths with each set of inhale and exhale. He was stable, well as stable as he could be.

Plagg sighed in relief, locking eyes with Adrien and giving a reassuring glance, "Good job, Adrien. I'm proud of you. Now since you're not going to go to bed like I asked- and still highly recommend," Adrien looked away, slightly guilty but made no indication of listening to his request, Plagg stared hotly and continued, "I'll explain to you the situation."

"Thank you, Plagg. Really, I appreciate all you're doing for me. I know I'm being a bit… hard to handle, but I really need to know. It's a lot for me right now… with everything happening and all, but I don't think I'll be able to rest with all these questions floating around my mind. Tell me, does Ladybug know my identity? Is she disappointed? Oh God, Plagg, is she disgusted with me now? Please… I need to know…" Adrien looked on the brink of tears and Plagg hesitated for just a moment. He wasn't sure if now was the best time to be telling Adrien all these things; he clearly still wasn't in the right of mind. After all that's happened… everything that's been done to the boy… Plagg wasn't sure he could handle any more stress. But Adrien doesn't seem to be giving him a choice and Plagg was a kwami of his word. He sucked in a breath that lasted longer that he expected and started off with the big hitter,

"Ladybug knows your identity-" Plagg started but Adrien cut him off with a choked cry,

"Oh God, no, Plagg, she never wanted us to reveal them- this is all my fault. She probably never wants to see me again. I'll be alone just like before- I can't go through that again, never again. I can't, I can't-" Adrien babbled, losing himself in his own fears and self-loathing. Plagg brought a hand up to shoosh him,

"Kid, slow down; she doesn't hate you. In fact, I'd say the exact opposite; I mean you should have seen her face when she picked you up after she purified the akuma. I don't think I've ever seen that look on her face before- it was filled with such worry and desperation; something I'm sure was close to my own. Only a few times in all my years have I seen a Ladybug show that kind of expression and let me tell you, kid, it doesn't happen often. She really cares for you, you know? Really truly cares for you; just like I do." Plagg explained and he could see the tears welling up in Adrien's eyes. They dripped down his face, leaving streaks in their wake as they plopped silently down onto his bed sheets, creating small patches of wet fabric.

"So you mean she's not… repulsed by me… by what I've become? I'm no longer clean, I'm dirty and used and impure. I could never stand by her side anymore- not the way I am. How could anyone put their trust and safety in the hands of someone who couldn't even keep themselves safe? Do you really think anyone is going to tremble at the name of Chat Noir when they know he's been sullied and beaten so horribly?" Adrien looked out the window, the picture of melancholy as he whispered lowly, "I know I wouldn't." He couldn't see himself as the gallant Chat Noir anymore, just the shriveling alley cat he always was. Ladybug had to be lying for his sake, masking her disgust for him under a mask of understanding. She was too kind for her own good but Adrien knew he was as good as dirt to her. She was so beautiful, shining like a jewel and he…he was nothing now- not even worthy to be a shadow cast in her light. She deserved better than him, she just needed to accept that.

"Listen, you can't keep thinking like that. You know Ladybug trusts and cares for you and you should know that she could never abandon you- not even if you begged her to. What happened to you was horrible and could never be taken back but you _are_ Chat Noir, Ladybugs one and only partner. You are _irreplaceable_ to her no matter what happens because you are a team. There is no Ladybug without her Chat Noir so if you think for even a second that you're not good enough, you better think again because you, Adrien Agreste are my Chat Noir and I wouldn't have anyone else even if I was given all the camembert cheese in the world." Plagg finished. There was a long silence between kwami and wielder, the rain still pounding at the windows, harsh and powerful. Plagg refused to break eye contact with Adrien, his own way of reassurance that he was still here and there for him.

Adrien was sure that Plagg was serious; the black kwami's shaky but adamant voice giving away his deep concern. At this moment, Adrien thanked all his graces for giving him such a wonderful friend, even if he did have to put up with his insane cheese cravings.

He wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye and flicked it away, "Thank you, I could have never asked for a better partner in crime." He grinned slightly, white teeth gleaming out of the small crack of a smile he gave Plagg. Plagg beamed back at him,

"You're welcome, kiddo! I only give the pure and unadulterated truth! Now we still need to address the brass tacks of the situation. Besides the fact that Ladybug now knows you identity, there is a slight miscalculation that was made while in the heat of the moment." Plagg explained slowly,

"What is it?"

"I need you to not freak out now. You have to promise me you'll keep your cool because as soon as we can, I'm going to let Ladybug know so we can handle the situation but you need to remain calm until that happens. Can you do that for me, Adrien?" Adrien nodded, confused but accepting of Plagg's terms.

"Okay. Adrien remember your promise, okay?" Plagg took a deep breath and spoke, "The Stalker- or at least his human counterpart- is nowhere to be found. He disappeared after the incident and no one has heard from him since. It's all over the news but you've been asleep for most of the time or… catatonic… so you wouldn't know." Plagg waited for Adrien's reaction. Seconds turned to minutes as the boy's slack face never moved an inch and Plagg was beginning to worry he went back into a daze. He was going to speak again but Adrien cut him off,

"So you're telling me that the man who raped me is somewhere out there right now and no one knows his location?" Adrien's voice was barely above a whisper, so quiet Plagg had to float closer just to hear him speak.

He nodded sullenly, "Yes, that is correct. But once you're discharged I'll let Ladybug know and warn her about his possible reappearance. I have a sinking feeling Hawkmoth is no done with that boy. But don't worry, Adrien, it will be taken care of, I promise."

Adrien began to wring his hands again, "Was my name in the news?" he asked, his brows knitted together, lips curling into a deep frown.

"No, I don't think so. Ladybug ran you to the Dupain-Cheng's house and then they took you right to the hospital but they never reported it. Your name is not in the news but I think they did call your emergency contact. I heard some doctors talking about no one picking up for at least a day." Something seemed to click in Adrien's head as he visibly recoiled in shock, arms wrapping protectively around himself. Plagg shot up, concern written across his face and prodded Adrien's arms,

"Adrien, what's wrong? Did I say something to disturb you? What is it?" Plagg questioned, worried about a repeat panic attack but Adrien shook his hold off him, gripping his arms tight enough to create half moons in the pale skin. He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged slightly, pulling a few out and dropping them haphazardly. He watched their descent towards the cotton blanket in an almost entranced stupor. Plagg quirked his head in puzzlement,

"I can't help you Adrien if you don't talk to me. What is this all about?" he huffed. Adrien turned his head towards Plagg and cupped him in his hands, holding him close to his body. With a firm hug, he finally spoke,

"Plagg, you don't understand," he said as his body quivered in an onset of trembles and shivers. His lips opened and he spoke six words that explained everything to Plagg,

"My _father_ is my emergency contact."

Note: I will try to be better with updates in the future! Ya'll know I'm shit at updating on time.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a loud knock on Marinette's door that jolted her out of her despondent dream-like state, wrenching her back into reality with a gasp. Small beads of sweat trickled down her face and fell annoyingly in her eyes and mouth adding a salty aftertaste to her heaving breaths. She swiped them away with the sleeve of her blazer and ignored the uncomfortable wetness of sweat on fabric in favour of the door. The knock came again and this time Marinette didn't flinch. Instead she slowly slid out of bed and headed for it, taking one careful step at a time until she reached the bright sanitized door handle and laid her handle lax against it. She leaned forward, pressing her ear to the door and listened in from the other side. She heard people talking but she couldn't quite make the voices out from behind the thick material so she opted for another means of approach.

"Hello? Who's there?" Marinette called lightly to the mysterious person. There was silence from the other side and Marinette thought the person might have left but a small female voice came muffled through the door,

"Marinette, honey? It's us, mama and papa. May we come in?" Marinette wasn't sure how fast she yanked the door open but it must have been really since both Sabine and Tom jumped back with a look of surprise as she burst from her side to give both of them a bear-crushing hug. They were tense at first from the initial shock but soon relaxed into their daughter's death-grip and hugged her back with equal fervent passion.

"Maman, oh papa…" Marinette cries were stifled by the layer of fabric in her face as she dipped her head into the chest of her parents and squeezed them tightly. After all that's happened, she had forgotten that she was still just a child herself. She bore the weight of the world on her shoulders and sometimes it felt like her knees could buckle any second but it was moments like these that made up for the suffocating stress. If there was anything she could be thankful for besides Tikki, it was the constant support of her loving parents.

With a small shift, Marinette pulled away from Tom and Sabine, wiping down her eyes that began to leak of their own free will. They stared at her with a mix of worry and happiness, no-doubt relieved that she was healthy. Marinette took the time to wonder if they had been in the waiting room this entire time or if they had gone home. She didn't really have time to dwell on the thought when the nurse from before advanced towards them from the left corridor. He was holding a small brown clipboard and leafing through it as if looking for specific information. He walked up to them and gave her parents a warm smile,

"Hello, you must be Ms. Dupain-Chengs parents," he tucked the clipboard under her arm and lifted one arm towards Tom, "It's a pleasure to meet you two, you have a very sweet daughter, might I add." Marinette would've commented on the first name basis she and the nurse should have been on when she realized for the first time she didn't even know his last name. Frowning slightly she flicked her eyes to the shiny nametag on his chest and gave it a quick once over.

 **'** **Thomas Zag- Nurse'**

For some reason, Marinette didn't expect anything different.

Meanwhile, Tom took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. Due to the sheer difference in the stature of her papa and the nurse, his arm went up and down like it was going to be pulled right out of its socket. Glancing at his helpless face, Marinette tried to hold back a laugh.

The key word is 'tried'

A small giggle slipped past her lips and she smacked her palm to her mouth instantly. Despite her efforts the other parties noticed and joined in. They all shared a laugh that felt so so good to let out, some more so for than others. To Marinette, it felt like it had been ages since she last laughed- she thought she'd never make the sound again after all this. The nurse chuckled before turning to her mother to shake her hand too; this time with a little less effort to keep his arm nicely connected with his torso.

"Okay, now that the introductions are done I have a few things to inform you about. The first is of your daughter's status here at the hospital," Marinette winced and went wide eyed. The others didn't notice but she felt the colour drain from her face. Thomas was going to tell her parents about her attempted escape and she would be put on house arrest. It would be near impossible to visit Adrien if she had her parents breathing down her neck at every small movement. She was now at the mercy of Thomas and she wasn't so sure he was allowed to keep information like this from her parents.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng," Marinette scrunched up her eyes and waited for the inevitable, "is absolutely adored by the staff here."

Wait… what?

"She's complied with our tests and examinations with little to no resistance and has been a huge help in aiding us with her recovery. You should be very proud of your daughter for being so cooperative in tremulous cases such as these." Thomas shifted his head towards her and her mouth felt like it would catch a fly with how wide open it was. He gave her a subtle wink and smirk before turned back to her parents and continuing on with her health status.

Marinette could not believe what he had just done for her. She was pretty sure that lying to a patient's parents was a big no-no in the medical industry and that could get him in serious trouble with his superiors. And yet he still covered for her despite the possible consequences of his actions. She hadn't done anything to deserve this- in fact she would have thought he would throw her under the bus because of the whole 'jamming her heel into his foot so hard it could have broken' incident. Baffled by his kindness she made a mental note to remember this act of compassion and one day repay it- no matter what.

Thomas finished up his report on her health with an assurance that there would be no more further complications and that she was free to be discharged from the hospital this afternoon. Marinette opened her mouth to demand to see Adrien but he held up a hand to silence her.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I know what you're about to say and before you say it I'm going to answer it right now," Thomas glanced towards the end of the left hallway and back to Marinette before locking eyes with her,

"Adrien is awake and in a calm enough state to receive visitors. If you wish to see him, I can arrange that but as of right now he's with his father so please be patient and wait for their session to finish before you go in." Thomas explained. Marinette nodded her head vigorously, ready to sell her soul if it meant seeing Adrien. Thomas turned towards her parents and advising them to head for the waiting room and stay there until they come back. They understood this was a private matter between their daughter and Adrien, leaving in the opposite direction. It was now only Thomas and Marinette alone in the hall. He glanced at her before extending his arm towards the left corridor, motioning her to head down,

"Follow me, Marinette. It's time you and Adrien had a chat."

Note: Next chapter gonna be Adrien and papa Agreste angst just you wait


	8. Chapter 8

The time it took to get from Marinette's hospital room to Adrien's didn't feel like it did in the movies. Usually in scenes like these the lead heroine runs past the nurses, pushes away the doctors and slams open the door to find their lover either alive and well or near-dead. It's heart-pumping and exhilarating, intended to draw out the raw and primal emotions of the audience. But this trek was long and agonizing, unlike the Hollywood blockbusters that Marinette so fondly remembers. It feels like every step is taking a decade off her lifespan and its _killing_ her.

Marinette kept walking as she turned to Thomas and tugged at his sleeve. He shifted his gaze from the end of the hallway to Marinette, fixing her with a quizzical gaze.

"Yes, Marinette, do you by any chance need to go to the washroom? When we turn the corner it'll be the first door on you right, though I think the floor is a tad bit wet. Last time I checked, a lady's water broke in there and the hospital janitor hasn't had a chance to clean it up so watch your step." Marinette face when red from her neck to her ears and Thomas just chuckled.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I wanted to lighten the mood a little bit, it's been depressing for a while now and I thought it might be good to see a little colour in your face since you've been looking pretty pale. Though I've seen a lot of extreme sunburns come in and never seen one as red as your face just now, is that even humanly possible?" Thomas grinned when he felt Marinette pound against his chest with her fists to get him to shut up. She huffed and turned away from him, obviously embarrassed but he could see her send him a small glance that told him what she wanted to know loud and clear. Clearing his throat, he turned his gaze back to the end of the hall.

"We're almost there, Marinette. He's at the end of the next hallway, room number 408, you're almost there." The breath that Marinette didn't know she was holding was let out and she felt her shoulders relax just a bit. Almost there.

They rounded the corner and it took every ounce of Marinette's will power and a small warning tug of her collar by Tikki not to run full sprint and rip open the door. Every step was a mile as she walked closer to the one person she's been trying to see so desperately the past few days. And as she got within arm's length of the small silver knob connected to the only thing between Adrien and her, she finally noticed the violent shaking of her hand. She heard more than felt her breath hitch as she brought her other hand to steady the shaking. And when she noticed that it too was trembling, she raised them to her chest and exhaled a quivering breath.

This moment took forever to get to and she wasn't ready. Not one bit.

Her heartbeat hammered against her ribs as she took one step back from the door. And then another. And another, until she backed up into something solid but not cold like she expected. Turning around she looked desperately up into the eyes of Thomas, a silent plea for help. He gently took her shoulders and leaned further down to look directly at Marinette, hearing her uneven breathing and feeling her quaking body.

"Marinette, if you don't think you can do this, it's alright. You're not running away, you can come back later when you think you're ready. It's a lot to take in and I know up until now you thought you can handle it by yourself but you don't need to. You have people who love you and who will happily share your burdens, I am among one of them. If you wish to back out now no one will think you a coward. Marinette, do what you feel is best; we can return later if you want. Adrien's not going anywhere for the time being so please don't feel pressured to go see him if you're not ready." Marinette took a few small shaky breaths and Thomas thought she was going to nod and let him lead her back to her room but he was wrong. Marinette was a much stronger girl than he thought as he watched her take his hands off her shoulders and raise her head up high. He could see the tears she held back and the tremors she hid as she lifted her hand to the door and rested it on the knob. With one last deep breath she opened the door and walked in.

In all honesty, she braced herself for a lot of scenario's that could have played out when she got to see Adrien properly for the first time. One's where he would laugh off what happened, one's where he would hide behind fake smiles, and even one's where he was completely unresponsive and broken though it pained Marinette to think about.

She was not expecting, however, to see Adrien halfway out the window with what looked to be a bunch of bed sheets tied together into a makeshift rope wrapped around his body and knotted to the bed post. There was a moment of silence between all three occupants of the room. Thomas, who had trailed after Marinette as she entered, had his mouth uncharismatically open. Marinette had a passing thought that he should close it or he might choke on a fly

Adrien and Marinette locked eyes and she could have sworn he looked almost guilty. But before she could so much as call the other's name, Thomas pushed past her and ran up to Adrien, hauling him away from the window. Marinette watched, unblinking and stunned as Thomas wrestled Adrien away with him kicking and struggling.

"No! You don't understand! He's going to kill me! You have to let me go right now. He can't find out, he just can't!" Adrien wormed his way out of Thomas's grip and made a break for the window. Thomas grabbed him around the waist without thinking and Adrien bucked.

"Let go of me! Don't touch me, I swear I'll- I'll-" Marinette noticed Thomas's grip slipping, desperately trying to subdue the boy without being the cause of another panic attack. Adrien squirmed in his grasp and in one quick and desperate move, drove his heel into Thomas's foot. Marinette cringed as Thomas reeled back, cradling his, once again, injured foot. Same one she stepped on, too.

Damn.

But she had no time to feel bad for the nurse as Adrien used the opportunity to make a dash for the window. In a second, Marinette's body sprang into action. She sprinted towards the window with a speed she didn't know she had outside of the mask and ripped apart the bed sheets. One half fell out the window while the other half slumped uselessly to the ground. Adrien stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his only means of escape destroyed and torn to shreds. He fell to the floor on his hands and knees looking defeated.

"No…I'm done for. That was my only way out and now he's coming. There's no way he'll let me go to school anymore, I'll be locked away forever. Alone." Adrien curled in on himself, clenching his fists into tight balls. In the background, grunts of pain could be heard from Thomas as he cared for his possibly broken foot.

Marinette didn't understand who "he" was but they didn't sound like a good person given the tone of Adrien's voice. She reached her hand towards Adrien to comfort him, help him up, do something other than staring helplessly but he violently swatted her hand away. It stung.

"Adrien?" Marinette said tentatively. Adrien lifted his head in shock and swivelled it so hard she was worried he might get whiplash.

"Marinette? Was that you I just hit? I'm so sorry! I didn't know, please forgive me!" Adrien was worried about her? She didn't really think she deserved his worry right now; he needed far more attention than she did. She waved her hand dismissively and tried to cover up her surprise.

"No! No, you did nothing wrong! I'm sorry I tried to touch you, I should've known better given your circumstances. Please, you don't need to apologize; it's me who needed to. Ah, right! Sorry!" Marinette felt so flustered, she was surprised she got an entire sentence out without stuttering. It seemed her small rant had done some good, though, because she heard something she thought she'd never hear again.

Adrien's laugh. And God how she missed the sound.

He covered his mouth but she could hear the small chuckles that fell past his lips and it felt wonderful to hear, "It's okay. You don't need to apologize, Marinette. It really was my fault," getting up from his place on the floor he gathered himself, "but if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" He eyed her warily and Marinette almost wanted to lie. Gritting her teeth and mentally noting that Thomas was still in the room, she chose her next words carefully,

"My family was tasked by Ladybug to take care of you after you got hurt. She seemed in a hurry and couldn't do it herself so we took you to the hospital to get treated. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Marinette explained softly. She didn't look up from her shoes, afraid to meet Adrien's eyes for fear of seeing something she didn't like.

Adrien nodded solemnly, "I see, I thought that was the case, so it seems it was true. In any case, I thank you for your kindness and ask you to please extend that to your family. As you can see I am doing well so you need not worry about me longer." Lies. All lies. Marinette could tell he was lying through his teeth. She saw it in his eyes, the way his body shifted anxiously, how his finger tapped his shoulder erratically. He was lying so they would leave and so he could be alone to self-destruct. Marinette wasn't having it.

"Adrien, what was all that? You're obviously not alright if you were trying to break out mere minutes ago. Who is this "he" you're talking about?" Marinette wanted answers if she was going to get anywhere with Adrien but the boy needed to work with her.

Shaking his head, Adrien turned away from her, "None of your concern. Marinette, I assure you I am fine. You don't need to worry about me so you can go back home with your family."

"No, Adrien, you're not "fine". Something is wrong and the only way for me to help you is if you tell me." Adrien's shoulders tensed and Marinette was scared she hit a nerve but then she heard a long sigh.

"You know, Marinette, you're too smart for your own good." Adrien turned back towards her, looking exhausted. "It's… my father. He's always been protective of me and after this, he'll never let me out of the house again if ever. I won't be able to come to school anymore, I won't be able to see any of you anymore, and I won't be able to see Lad-" Adrien cut himself off, like he was going to say something he shouldn't.

Marinette gave him a confused glance. He was going to say "Ladybug" wasn't he? He was worried he wouldn't be able to see her anymore? But she was right here in front of his face, didn't he remember her detransforming? She heard about this before, hadn't she? After traumatic incidents, sometimes the victim blocks out some memories, Adrien must have blocked out their reveal, completely wiping his mind of Ladybug's true identity.

Marinette didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.

Suddenly, Thomas spoke up and Marinette felt bad for momentatilly forgetting he was there in the first place.

"Adrien, if you're father treats you like this; shouldn't you let the authorities know? This is borderline child abuse, he can't hold a vice grip over your life." Adrien's eye's widened and he waved his arms frantically back and forth.

"No! No! No! You can't do that. Father is all I have left. If he were gone then I would be left with nothing. I can't go to some random relative and I won't go to an orphanage. If father goes to prison I'll be all alone again. You can't do that to me, I won't be able to handle it."

"I understand your concerns but this can't go on. We need to do something; I refuse to let you go home to a father like that, not when I can do something about it."

"You don't understand! Father is-"

Adrien was cut off by a loud roar from outside his door. They heard the sound of an argument muffled by the walls.

"–don't care what you told me! I demand to see my son right this instant! Let go of me!"

"Sir, we need you to calm down, it's just procedure. Just fill out the forms and-"

"No, you listen to me! I am Gabriel Agreste, world renowned fashion designer and my tax dollars basically pay your rent. I do not have time to fill out 20 pages of paperwork when my son is right here in front of me. You will let me go right now or I'll have you all fired!"

There was a silence where only the sound of a ticking clock could be heard. Then the doorknob turned and Gabriel Agreste walked in, eyeing the two patrons he did not intend to see. His gaze drifted over to Adrien and hardened. Adrien shrunk back further into himself.

"Father?" Adrien said, barely above a whisper. Gabriel walked over, footsteps clacking loudly against the floor. Gabriel crouched to the floor, level with Adrien and he curled in on himself just a little more. Raising a hand, Adrien anticipated a hard slap to the face for disgracing the Agreste name with his dirty little body but was surprised to feel calloused fingers gently stroke his hair. Adrien's breath hitched as he looked up at his father. He felt strong arms wrap around his body, tight enough to feel his father's heartbeat but loose enough to break out of if he wanted to.

"Adrien…I'm so glad you're alright. I thought I lost you. Thank goodness!" Gabriel tilted his head down onto Adrien's shoulder and he felt something wet.

No way…he wasn't…?

Gabriel was crying. Adrien didn't think it possible but here he was living the impossible. His arms that were resting uselessly by his side suddenly regained feeling and he brought them up to circle around his father's middle, grasping desperately at his shirt. His eyes stung and his face felt unbearably hot and he was sure he was clutching his father's suit hard enough there would be wrinkles but he didn't care.

As the sound of sobs filled the room, Marinette noticed the wind blew in petite peony that landed gently on the windowsill as Adrien and Gabriel softly cried in each others arms.

Note: Sorry I've been away for so long. I lost a bit of interest with the story but i'm going to try and get back into the swing of things. Hopefully this new chapter is followed by regular updates. I'll try my best to keep up with the updating and try not to drop it entirely. Thank you for your support!


	9. Chapter 9

Shadow of a Chat

Chapter 9

Marinette shuffled awkwardly, fiddling with her pigtails between her thumb and forefinger. Her weight rested on one foot then the other trying to find the perfect stance that wouldn't make her look like an awkward penguin.

In the middle of the room Adrien and his father were clinging onto each other like they were stranded at sea and the other was the last lifeboat. It was heart-warming, really, it was but Marinette was at a loss for what _she_ was supposed to be doing right now. She had a few options; option one, try some supportive words in the background. Marinette threw that one in the trash; you know, the one inside her mind, not, like, a real one.

So option two now I guess? Maybe join in on the hug? No, that'd be weird. Okay! Option three, just stand there in the corner, stay silent, and don't do anything. That sounded like a good plan!

In her mental ramblings, Marinette had failed to notice Adrien and Gabriel rising from the floor. The hug tightened a little before relaxing as they separated, standing a metre apart. Gabriel steeled his shoulders and adjusted his tie, clearing his throat. Adrien felt the need to smooth out his ruffled shirt and rub out the small tears that fell down his cheek. His face was still red as a beet but he looked happier, chuckling even as he wiped away dried tears. Marinette glowed when those gleaming white teeth peeked out from chapped lips. It felt so good to see Adrien smile and it made Marinette crack a small grin from her spot in the corner of the room.

And then Gabriel _had_ to speak.

"Adrien, you don't know how thankful I am you're alright. But, although you're fine now, I won't be able to assure you're safety in the future if I let you roam free as you are now. It is too dangerous out there for you; I knew this from the start. It was by my foolishness that I let you and Nathalie convince me to let you go to public school. I've seen my mistake now and I won't make it again. Adrien, starting today you will no longer be going to that wretched school and will begin private lessons at the manor." Gabriel took his phone out of his pocket and tinkered with it for a few seconds as all the occupants in the room gaped at him.

"I've let Nathalie know to clear my schedule for the day; I'll be dealing with your disenrollment myself." Gabriel replied coldly like he hadn't just had a bonding moment with his son after years of ignoring him and brushing him off to the side. Marinette felt her blood boil. She opened her mouth to argue, colourful words that would make her mother wash her mouth out with soap dancing at her tongue but Adrien beat her to it.

"What?! Father, you can't do this! What about all my friends? What about everything I've worked up to until now? You can't lock me away again, that's not fair," Adrien stepped forward, closing the distance between him and his father, "I've done everything you've asked for my entire life never once questioning you. You tell me I'm going to do fencing now, fine, I'll do it. You order me to model your clothing lines, whatever you say, father. You _demand_ I take Chinese lessons, yes, father, I will abide by your every beck and whim. You've done nothing but order me around my entire life and now once I've finally got one good thing, something that's my own, you're going to take it away from me?" Adrien's breathing was getting ragged, rage boiling up from the deepest pits of his stomach. Thomas made his way to lightly tug on Adrien's shoulders, a desperate attempt to pry him away from his father and calm him down. Adrien swatted his hand off his shoulders violently,

"Don't touch me!" Adrien rounded back on his father, "I will not let you take the only thing in my life that's not controlled by you." Adrien's shoulders were heaving up and down. He was holding this back for years; the anger, the resentment, the regret that coiled around his heart and threatened to squeeze until it exploded. He clutched at his heart, wrinkling the fabric around his hospital garb. Gabriel made a move to comfort him but Adrien backpedalled away from the larger man.

Gabriel lowered his arms and straightened his posture. Adrien could tell just from his stance he was back in 'business mode' as Adrien so fondly called it. It made bile rise in the back of his throat. "Adrien, calm down, you're working yourself up for no reason. You don't need all those worthless friends you've made, you have Chloe, remember? You were fine before, you'll be fine now. You must understand, this is for your safety."

A sneer tugged at Adrien's lips, "My safety? Ha! That's a joke! I know what this is really for. You want to keep me away from the public eye. Take me out of school and put me in private lessons so no one will hear about poor little Gabriel's son. Gossips a terrible thing, father. It spreads fast like wildfire, uncontrollable and deadly. The real reason you're doing this isn't to protect me, you're not that valiant. You want to hide me away. Lock me up from prying eyes. But not for me, oh no. You're doing this for yourself," Adrien spat, pacing back and forth, cradling his hands to his chest.

Marinette wanted it to stop. This was too much; if Adrien or Gabriel go any further they might say or do something they're going to regret. She made a move to step in the middle of the fight but Thomas extended him arm in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks. He shook his head as a sign of disapproval. Marinette threw him an incredulous look and moved to pry his arm away. He has more strength than he led on because she couldn't move him even an inch. With the mask on this would be nothing, but without, Marinette was stuck.

Adrien's voice rose a level, "You're embarrassed of me, aren't you? You're only son raped by a complete stranger. How scandalous for you!" Adrien's voice was cracking giving away his despair. Gabriel's eye's widened at the accusation, "Adrien, you know that's no tr-"

"What's not true?! Don't lie to me, father! You've been disappointed in me ever since mother died!" There was a hitch of breath not from Adrien but from Gabriel instead. He had hit a nerve and he knew it. Adrien pressed on, "She was everything to you but I just seemed to get in the way. I'm right, aren't I? Without her, you turned into a tyrant, controlling every facet of my life. What would she say, hmm? What would she think of the man you've become?"

"Adrien, stop."

"Why should I? You never seem to listen to what I have to say, why should I listen to you now? Mother would have listened to me!"

"You don't know what you're saying. Stop right this instant." Gabriel ordered. Adrien shook his head in response.

"No. I will not. Mother loved me but it seems I'm only a source of revenue in your eyes. I'm to be discarded if ever to disgrace the Agreste family name. Oh, woes you, father. I can't take this anymore. This endless cycle of hope that comes crashing down on me when I realize it's all for nothing. You never loved me, father! Sometimes I wish you had died instead of mom!"

 _SLAP!_

Adrien stood stock still. Gabriel's hand was no longer by his side but instead outstretched and to the right. Slowly, Adrien raised a shaking hand to his cheek and recoiled when it stung. He look widely up at his father and then back to his hand, brain processing the information at a snail's pace. He felt the smallest trickle of something warm run down the side of his mouth from parted lips and raised a finger to swipe it off. He stared at the crimson droplets that smeared against his thumb like they were an optical illusion. That maybe if he stared long enough he could connect the meaning behind it.

Gabriel took a step back, horrified. He glanced at his hand and then back at Adrien, words failing him for the first time in his life.

Marinette and Thomas stood in the back, mouths agape and eyes wide in horror and surprise. Marinette made a tiny squeaking noise trying to breathe but it was like time had just stopped; everyone was frozen in place like a tableau.

And then, as if the spell had been broken, Adrien spoke,

"I see," his voice was hollow and devoid of emotion, "I guess my assumptions were correct. This is how you really felt of me, father. I understand. I'm a disappointment, right? A failure of a child." He chuckled quietly, "I won't bother you anymore. I won't talk back, I'll be the perfect poster child, just like you always wanted." Adrien's eye's seemed to have dimmed considerably. The light Marinette saw just mere minutes before seemed to have died out and been replaced with cold dullness. It made her sick to her stomach.

"Adrien, please. That's not what I meant. I- I shouldn't have hit you, I'm so sorry. Please don't- I didn't mean it." Gabriel stuttered. _Stuttered._ Adrien almost laughed. He had never known his father to be so distraught. So unbecoming of him that it disgusted Adrien.

"Don't. Just don't. You've already done enough. There's no need to cover up the truth. I know how you truly feel now and to be honest, I don't think you're wrong. I know what I am. I'm to be used and discarded; you and _him_ made that _very_ clear." Adrien's voice was laced with a venom that Marinette had never heard from him before. It sent shivers up and down her spine.

"No. You're wrong. I would never- don't you dare compare me with him. You- you have no right." Gabriel was grasping at straws and everyone could tell.

"No right?" Adrien's voice dropped a level, "I think I have every right. You two have broken me down and when I think I'm ready to get back up and try again, you kick my legs from under me. You're two peas in a pod, you and him. The only one worse than the both of you is Hawkmoth and he's a supervillain." Adrien missed the flinch from Gabriel at the mention of Hawkmoth, too occupied with his own self-loathing thoughts but Marinette keyed in on it. It was odd, to say the least. But Marinette didn't have time to dwell on the thought too long. She was fuming, enough was enough. This had to stop.

Storming from her place behind Thomas, throwing his arm away with more strength than she realized she had, she pushed between Adrien and Gabriel.

"Enough!" She yelled. Both of them recoiled in surprise at the outburst. Never had Marinette been one for screaming, she was either quiet and shy or awkward and friendly but never had she raised her voice to this extent.

"Marinette?" Adrien spoke softly, a vast difference to how he was previously regarding his father.

She ignored him, "This has gone on long enough. Both of you need to understand one thing and one thing only. You. Are. Family. Now I don't know the specifics of your situation and even if it's my place to say this but I do know this, when everything falls away, when you've got nothing, family is the one thing that should be there to support and love you. Obviously, you two have had a tough relationship these past years, even I can see that but that doesn't give you the right to tear each other down," turning to Gabriel she pointed an accusing finger at him, "You can't keep Adrien locked up in your house forever, he needs freedom and you can't take that away from him. Compromise, talk to him as if he's a human being not a pet. I'm sure you can work something out without having to confine him. Adrien needs a father right now, not a prison guard." Gabriel sucked in a breath and nodded. The fire in Marinette's eyes threating to burn him alive if he had done otherwise.

Then Marinette turned on Adrien, "And _you,_ how dare you say you're a failure? A disappointment? Don't make me laugh. You're the sweetest, kindest, honest person I know and I know Rose. To think you're anything but that is ludicrous. But I've got to say despite all that you're an idiot." Adrien's eyes darkened a little but Marinette continued on, "You're an idiot because you can't see your father loves you with all his heart. Sure, he doesn't quite no how to express that love but he does nonetheless and if you can't see that, you must be blind."

Marinette pulled both of them down in a small hug, "You're family. And you're all the family you two have. Please don't ruin that over something that can be so easily solved." Adrien and Gabriel looked at each other over the shoulders of Marinette, wide eyed. It took a moment but their gaze softened. Adrien lightly pushed against Marinette's hold. She tightened it around them, not willing to let go or else they might go back to fighting.

"It's alright, Marinette. We're fine now. You can let go." Marinette sniffled softly and released them both. "Thank you. Things got a bit out of hand. I don't know what came over me, it just felt like a dam was bursting and there was no way for me to hold it back." Marinette wiped at her eyes where tears had formed and she gave him a small smile, "You're welcome. Just glad to help.

Gabriel straightened, "Yes, Marinette, you did help. I didn't realize how my actions were affecting Adrien. I always thought I was doing what was best for him," Gabriel looked sadly to Adrien, "now I see that I was wrong. I'll discuss this matter with Nathalie later and Adrien," Adrien looked up to Gabriel, emotions swirling in his green eyes, "you may tell me what works for you and we will see what we can do. You may resume attending Collège Françoise Dupont but with an added few body guards." Adrien's eyes lit up.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, father!" Adrien jumped up and down.

"You're welcome, son. I know this won't make up for years of neglect but it's a start. I'll work my hardest to try and be a good father, but it's a slow process. I haven't opened up since... your mother. Please be patient with me."

"I will, father. Thank you for giving me this chance. You won't regret it."

Gabriel smiled grimly, "I hope."


	10. Chapter 10

The hospitals wall clock ticked really loudly.

Marinette affirmed this for herself as it ticked infuriatingly against her skull. She didn't know if it was due to the uncomfortable silence of the waiting room or because her brain unconsciously clung onto something to concentrate on.

Either way it was getting stupidly annoying and if someone doesn't walk in right now, so help her, she was going to smash it over her knee.

"If you glare any harder, I'm afraid it might make cracks." Thomas said, entering the room. Marinette slumped forward and pouted. "How much longer do I have to wait here? It feels like it's been ages." She wined, throwing her hands over her head in exasperation.

"Oh, wow, well then you look pretty good for your age. Science has done wonders with the aging process, I must say." Marinette wasn't looking but she knew Thomas was smirking. She groaned against her arms, muffling the sound. "This is no time for jokes. Just how much longer do I have to wait? It's been, like, two hours-"

"Thirty minutes."

Marinette threw up her arms, "Like I said! Two hours. Come on, I get fidgety when I don't have anything to do. I'm so bored and you're not giving me anything to work with." Thomas shook his head and pinched the bridge of his noise. "You know, you're pretty bossy for a teenager."

"I've been told. Now cough up the info. I'm running on fumes here." Marinette shifted in her chair, making herself comfortable.

"Alright. Alright. You're the boss," he grinned, "So, according to his personal doctor, Adrien will be given the okay to be released in a few days. For now, given his fragile psychological state and the extent of his injuries, they wish to keep a tight watch on him just in case." Marinette's shoulders dropped, a frown forming. "Well, that seems…reasonable, I guess." She was disheartened and both of them knew it but there was nothing either of them could do.

Thomas cleared his throat, regaining her attention. "There is also one other reason, though I'm not sure if you would like to hear it." Marinette straightened, alarm bells ringing louder than the infernal ticking of the clock. "What is it?" she couldn't help the distress in her voice. Thomas's eyes flicked to the floor, settling on observing a small crack in the linoleum. "I'm not sure if you would be alright if I divulged it, are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" Marinette would have scoffed but that felt entirely too rude to Thomas so she held it back. Instead she nodded her head, fixing him with an intense gaze. "I'm not little girl. I can handle it. Now tell me what else is there?"

Thomas was once again baffled this girl he had not met even three hours ago. There was more to Marinette than she led on.

"Alright. One of the other reasons for Adrien's extended stay is because we just got back the results of the rape kit. You see, if we get a match on someone, the usual follow up is an arrest of the perpetrator. Cut and dry; case over, you know. We did get the identity of the man- or really I should say boy, he was no older than 16 but that's where things got difficult." Marinette held back the bile congregating in the back of her throat. Whatever was coming, she was sure she wasn't going to want to hear. Still, she listened.

"We got everything about him, and boy was there a lot. His name, his address, his criminal history, hell, even his blood type!" Thomas brought a hand up to his mouth, cheeks flushing a light pink. "Sorry, heck. Forgot your age."

"My age doesn't matter! Just finish!" Marinette urged. Thomas dropped the hand to his side, "Yes. Sorry, excuse me. His track record was smeared with delinquencies from theft to mugging, and some cases of assault. But the odd thing about all this is that the police put some of their best men on the case and they've come up with nothing. It usually takes only a few hours to bust someone with this much dirt on them but it's like he vanished into thin air. Almost like he's blending in with the shadows, you know?" Thomas continued on but his voice was a rush of water flowing over her.

Shadows? There's no way, right? She purified the akuma, she saw it's pristine _white_ form flutter away harmlessly. The boy was released from its corruption and yet it sounded like he was completely unaffected. She couldn't have…failed?

"-inette! Marinette!"

"What!" Marinette yelled, baring canines at the nurse. This wasn't making any sense; nothing was making any sense. Could Halkmoth akumatize someone more than once?

"Are you even listening to me anymore?" Thomas jutted his hip out, leaning his weight on his left leg. He quirked an eyebrow at her, seemingly waiting for an answer.

"Yes. Yes. Of course I'm listening. Just lost a bit in thought. Just…just give me a sec, okay?" Thoughts and worries were swarming Marinette from all directions. She needed to get a grip or else she was going to be carried away in the frenzy. She decided the best grounder was, unfortunately, the clock. Focusing on the steady mechanical tick tick tick made her calmer despite the hateful words and glares she sent it earlier. It was a landline that she held desperately onto, clinging for dear life. It served its purpose, giving Marinette the time to reflect on the newly acquired information.

Stalker was still in the picture. Despite her de-akumatization he had managed to gain back control of his powers through some sort of means. The obvious conclusion would have to be Halkmoth. Meaning that he could not only duplicate and akuma but also reuse one entirely. That could mean that it would be only a matter of time before Alya or Nino or anyone else that had been under his control would be used again. This was vital information, a clue to the extent of Hawkmoth's true power. But something seemed off. It irked her; despite everything Halkmoth has done, it doesn't seem his style to use the same akuma again, especially one that lost. She hated to admit it, but this doesn't seem like it was Hawkmoth's doing. But if it wasn't him then who?

Marinette's thoughts were abruptly cut off when she heard the static of a T.V go off. Thomas and her turned startled to the small dinky television set up in the corner of the room. The static stayed on screen for a moment before settling on a pixelated image of a dark figure. Dread pooled in Marinette's stomach. Thomas moved to turn off the T.V but it wouldn't shut off.

"That's odd." He smacked the remote. "I could have sworn I just changed these batteries a day ago. It should be working." Thomas continued to finick with the remote as Marinette stared at the figure in the T.V. The image was getting clearer now and she could make out some features. Tan skin…grey eyes…oh no. Marinette felt her heart clench as the image cleared and the person was as clear as day to her.

"Hello, Paris!" Stalker strung out the "hello" rolling the l's with manic glee. "Did you miss me? Because I sure didn't miss you. Sorry for the sudden disruption of your Sunday morning cartoons but I've got breaking news!" Stalker swivelled unnaturally in a full circle and Marinette guessed he was on a rolling chair. Stalker seemed to have swung himself a little too far though as he hooked his hands under the few of the screen and scooted closer, almost like a child. Marinette felt like puking at this "innocent" façade he was trying to pull.

"Turns out, you're oh so valiant and just Ladybug couldn't live up to her "hero status", what a poor insignificant bug." Stalker wiped a fake tear from his eye, sniffling a bit. "So, I'm here to make an offer. Ladybug… I know you're listening." Marinette's stomach flipped. "I'd like to make a deal with you. Our last fight didn't go so well for me, I'll admit, but this time's going to be different. I'm not as naïve as I was before so I've crafted a plan this time, an expertly crafted on if I do say so myself." There was a smugness in his voice that made Marinette want to choke him through the screen and throw him over the Eiffel Tower. Her fists squeezed into tight fists at the thought.

"You see, I came wholly unprepared last time, I underestimated you, Ladybug. But insects are still insects so squashing one is really the same as squashing a thousand, right?" Stalker grinned. Suddenly the image swung left and Marinette couldn't help the gasp that left her. Ten people were hung by their wrists by wispy shadows and held 3 inches above the floor. All of them seemed to be unconscious but distressed as if they were having a nightmare. Something lodged in Marinette's throat when she noticed one of the captives looked familiar. There, in her jeans and flannel shirt was Alya, completely incapacitated and at the mercy of Stalker. "That…scum." Marinette hissed under her breath.

"These ten lovely people will be my bargain for this evening. Within 24 hours, I will kill every one of them, one my one, in the most agonizing fashion imaginable unless you and my dear Chaton come to my location. I will be sending shadows to guide you two and only you two to me and if I sense even one more person, the deal is off." Stalker walked towards the captives, and held one's head in his hand. "Oh, and I don't think I need to tell you what happens next." He squeezed harder and the captive shifted in pain. Marinette watched as a small trickle of blood ran down their face. The threat was clear, come alone or risk the death of everyone one of those people.

Alya…

She couldn't risk it. But it wasn't just her who he wanted. In fact, she doubted he even cared that much about her; she was collateral in the grand scheme of his plan. She knew what he wanted and she was reluctant to give it to him.

"I have very little time left and parting is really such a sweet sorrow. I'll be awaiting your arrival, Ladybug." His smirk grew as he licked his lips, "And see you soon Mon Minou, we've been apart far too long. I've missed you oh so much. I simply cannot wait to taste you again. Come to me, my Kitten, I'll be eagerly awaiting your arrival."

The screen cut to black sending the whole room into silence.

 _Tick, Tick, Tick_

Marinette punched the clock, a spider web of cracks left in its wake.


End file.
